Please do not read this
by Bronieac
Summary: The first fanfic i ever wrote, reuploading to show someone


Title: **The Mobian Wars: Aftermath**  
Category: Games » Sonic the Hedgehog  
Author: Demented Anarchist  
Language: English, Rating: Rated: M  
Genre: Adventure/Fantasy  
Published: 01-21-10, Updated: 04-11-10  
Chapters: 13, Words: 35,022

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**Chapter 1: Chapter 1**

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Shadow gasped as he awoke. He looked around to see where he was; he was in an aircraft of some sort that was for certain. He got up heard voices that he vaguely remembered unable to think clearly. As his brain awoke fully he recognized the people speaking as Tails and Knuckles. Shadow tried to walk to them but saw he was strapped into a life support machine. Shadow looked around and saw Sonic unconscious in a machine identical to his. On Shadow's other side Rouge was slumped over another machine asleep. Shadow looked to see Convel asleep in the machine. Shadow smiled knowing that they all had survived the betrayal. Then Shadows vision went cloudy as the sedatives administered by the life support machine kicked in, Shadow fell back in a dreamless sleep.

When Shadow regained consciousness Tails stood above pushing buttons on the life support machine's control panel. Shadow rubbed his eyes and sat up, he went light headed and laid back down. Shadow looked at his body and noticed it was considerably thinner than it had been when he was last conscious. How long had he been out?

"Easy champ you've lost a lot of muscle mass after five months living through a tube." said Tails.

"Damn five months have Sonic and Convel been out as long as I have?" asked Shadow.

"No Sonic's still under and is going to be for another few days and Convel got out about a month ago." said Tails pulling a wheelchair next to the machine.

"But Convel got the worst of it by far from what I remember I thought if anybody he'd be the one attached to the machine for his life." said Shadow pulling himself out of the machine and struggling to get in the chair.

"Well you forget he's one tough mother fucker. He spent the first few weeks working out constantly to rebuild his muscles, eating, sleeping, and 'catching up' with Rouge in their room."

"Damn I knew he was a tough bastard to kill but not that tough. So where are we, Rouge's ship?"

"Yep we came and picked you guys up after The Black Guard left."

"So what now we hide out and run with the cover story that we died on Angel Island?"

"No Convel has a better plan."

"What?" asked Shadow as they wheeled into the cockpit of the ship.

"I'll explain," said Convel getting up out of what appeared to be the gunner station leaving Rouge who was sitting in his lap. "We get our revenge on that weasel bastard and take down the entire system that betrayed us."

"How he'll be a war hero now and Black guard and Inquisition numbers will be up how do you intend on taking out The Inquisition and the UF?" asked Shadow wheeling up to Convel.

"I'll explain when old blue wakes up until then let's get you in physical therapy." said Convel.

"But."

"Not until he wakes up." said Convel pushing Shadow into the makeshift gym in the cargo bay.

Shadow groaned but accepted that he wasn't getting anything until Sonic woke up. Convel pushed him over to a pair of parallel bars and pushed him out of the chair. Shadow caught himself with one of the rails and struggled to get on his feet; the months in critical condition had reeked havoc on his muscle mass making even standing and walking a labor. Shadow was able to take a few steps but had to support himself mainly with the bars; after ten minutes he was able to stumble his way to the end of the bars where Convel stood pointing in the other direction, Shadow groaned at the prospect of walking more but did as he was told.

Shadow did laps on the parallel bars for hours until he could finally stand and walk on his on. Convel seemed satisfied and let him exit the gym at last to get something to eat. When Shadow slumped into a chair in the kitchen he found some sort of rib or something laying on a plate for him. Shadow dug into the succulent meat without hesitation; he savored the flavors and gorged on the delights of solid food, the first he'd had in months. After his meal was finished Knuckles handed him a cup filled to the brim with beer; Shadow chugged it gratefully and leaned back in his chair to enjoy the processes of digestion. Rouge walked in saw the remains of Shadows meal and laughed.

"Well Hun looks like you enjoyed your first meal a lot didn't you." She said with a grin.

"There are no words, my complements to the chef." said Shadow looking at Rouge.

"Don't look at me, I can't cook worth shit you have Convel to thank for that."

"Wait, you've been holding out on us this whole time!" exclaimed Shadow.

"There's a time and a place for everything, for now it's time you get some rest were going to hit the gym again tomorrow, and we're going to keep doing t until you're back to your old self." said Convel walking out of the kitchen with a beer stein in one hand and his arm wrapped around Rouge.

"Un-fucking believable, all that time I spent eating the gruel that The Inquisition supplied I could have been feasting." said Shadow walking out after them. "So where do I sleep then?"

"Follow Knux, you'll be staying across the hall from him." said Convel as he entered his room.

"C'mon then." said Knuckles.

Shadows room was as utilitarian as it got. The only furnishing was a cot just barely big enough for him to lie on. There was a small sink with a grooming kit and a toilet in the corner. It reminded Shadow of the cell he had shared with Manic for three months back when he was 15. The wall had a small screen that had access to Stratosnet so he could at least entertain himself while he wasn't eating, sleeping, or exercising.

Shadow's life was a routine of monotony for the next few weeks. In the morning he'd awake get a shower and breakfast before heading off to the gym. Convel kept everyone in top shape and made sure that shadow was always challenged even when he returned to full strength. After working out he'd get lunch then He, Knuckles, and Tails would talk or everybody would play poker or something until dinner and then sleep.

After a solid month of this the monotony was finally broken when something finally happened. Sonic recovered and exited the machine. When Tails wheeled him in it was a bittersweet sight. HE was alive but he was in even worse shape than Shadow had been. Convel didn't even both saying anything as he wheeled him to the gym to try and salvage his body after half of a year of disuse. Shadow was kept awake at nights from Sonic's screams of pain as he went through the arduous process of recovery.

After a while everyone was surprised to see Sonic walk into the kitchen by himself. At first he hadn't even been able to feed himself but now he was walking. There was little celebration though he was still a long way from back to being the fastest thing alive. Sonic spent his nights sleeping in the room across from Tails and often passed out as soon as his head hit the cushion they used for pillows. When he awoke he ate with the rest of them before going off to physical therapy.

After three months both Tails and more importantly Convel finally deemed Sonic healthy. Convel called them all to the conference room to finally tell them his plan. Inside Convel sat with his feet up on the table and was playing with a butterfly knife. When they all sat sown he hopped up and turned on the monitor behind him revealing a map of Mobius.

"Right know that were all back to our potential I think we stopped this way of life we've been living." He said. "I don't know about you but I'm fucking tired of stopping only at black market supply drops in the dead of night. I think it's time we started putting my plan into motion."

"Which is?" asked Knuckles.

"I was just about to get to it," said Convel glaring at Knuckles. "I doubt that the raiders and wastelanders are willing to submit to the fucks who destroyed everything they knew. I'm pretty sure they'll want to live in the freedom they've known; remember some of them don't know any other life than the life they've got now. So I say we go out and rally them to our cause."

"So you expect raiders who only seek to increase their own power to work with other raiders and for innocent civilians to rebel beside them?" asked Tails skeptically.

"Look the raiders hate the UF and so do most of the wastelanders so they'll be happy to work together as long as it means freedom." explained Convel.

"Yes but everyone's gonna want to lead no one's going to want to submit to anyone else." said Shadow.

"Besides were ex Inquisition they'll more than likely recognize us from our GUN day too so they wont ally with us." said Sonic.

"We're ex Inquisition not current and they'll remember your day's before GUN too Sonic. They need a symbol and you can provide that. So Sonic to them you'll be the leader but in reality there will be no one leader." said Convel.

"I still don't think it'll work." said Tails.

"Look mate their not gonna rally behind anyone else and I'm pretty sure even raiders can do simple math to realize that other wise they'll lose."

"Fine I guess the only other choice is a life of hiding and I'd rather that we didn't." said Tails finally giving in to the idea.

"What about the rest of you?" asked Convel.

"Brother I'm always gonna fight with you." said Knuckles.

"Hell it could be fun playing hero again." said Sonic.

"If I get to kill The Commander I'm game." said Shadow.

"Hun you know I'll always be at your side." said Rouge.

"So it's settled, we're going to be landing at a raider enclave soon. The guy there has a lock down on this entire sector so we get him on our side and we get the support of the entire sector." said Convel relieved.

"Wait you already set a course to the headquarters of a raider coalition without our go ahead." said Tails.

"Well yea."

"So we were going to do it no matter what."

"Yes but war is so much easier when your meat shields are willing." joked Convel.

"Fuck off." Said Tails.

When they landed in the middle of the enclave Convel exited his room wearing something that Shadow had never seen outside of a history book. It wasn't Clamish armor or anything like that, it was something much more ancient, something from the first days of the Clamort civilizations birth. Convel was clad head to toe in shining bronze armor with his giant claymore on his back. The founders of Clamand had been a group of outcast warriors from Alban called Cogadhaidh; and apparently Convel happened to have a full suit of their armor.

Convel put on a cape and waved at them to follow him. They all fell in step behind the old war dog as he approached a welcoming committee of thirty armed guards. Convel stopped in front of the guards, drew his sword, and stuck it into the ground. Shadow understood the gesture and threw his gun onto the ground as well. When everyone had disarmed the guards nodded and led them into a building, down several guard-lined corridors and into a grand dining hall. One of the guards ran off and returned with who was presumably their leader.

The leader was a fox that had one of his eyes sewed shut, both of his arms were bionic, and one of his legs was bionic from the calf down. The war torn fox grabbed a mug of beer and chugged it before letting it drop to the ground and shatter. The Fox walked up to Convel and based off the expression on his face he was ready to punch him. Shadow thought he was reaching for his gun and was about to jump at him when He shook Convel's hand.

"It's not often we see Cogadhaidh in these parts, especially now that Clamorts are supposed to be extinct." said The Fox.

"We didn't all die on Angel Island; you've probably heard of me, the name's Convel."

"Really out of all the Clamorts that could have survived you claim to be the one who my sources tell me was killed by The Inquisition for treason. Bad luck with that cover story."

"It's not a lie here look." said Convel removing his helmet.

"Well I'll be damned the Clamorts live on and it's through their fearless leader. I thought you didn't where armor thought because of your religion." said The Fox shrewdly.

"Your right I didn't but I figured that it was time that since we died as a people for the most part, it was time I embraced our roots to the full extent." replied Convel.

"Well then Convel what brings you here?"

"I'm guessing you're not happy with The Inquisition and The UF declaring you and everyone like enemies of the state, and trying to kill you. I offer you a way to win the upcoming fight by uniting behind a common flag with all other raiders and wastelanders into one massive army." said Convel.

"And I'm guessing you'd be our fearless leader." said The Fox sarcastically.

"Actually no, that's what Sonic's for." said Convel Jerking his thumb over his shoulder.

"Really, I thought for sure you'd want to revive your dead culture by making us all into pseudo Clamorts and uniting us against a common enemy."

"No I just want revenge against the bastard who shot me and my mates. Sonic is a symbol of freedom and heroism; everything people aspire to be. Me I'm just a faceless soldier. So what do you say are you in?"

"Well the way I see it is join or die, so I'm in." said The Fox Shaking Convel's hand again.

Convel turned and led them out of the stronghold and into the ship. Once inside and in the air Convel threw off his armor and leaned over a map trying to figure out where to recruit next. Shadow went into his room and lay on his cot thinking about what they were doing. They were recruiting people to join a massive army to fight against the recovering nation they once fought for right after the last civil war ended. He honestly didn't know if a quest for revenge was right if it meant tearing apart this world even more.

The last war had seen brother fighting and killing brother, fathers killing sons, and mothers killing daughters. Cities had been reduced to rubble, forests to ash, and lakes to steam. The world outside of a few lucky and protected zones was a wasteland of dust and dead bodies. Now discarded bombs would no doubt sit for years before accidentally being set off. Piles of ammo would fuel the inevitable gang wars for years to come. The war may be over but its effects would be felt for generations.

So should he really embark on a quest that might amplify it to the point of a nuclear winter. One large part of him said yes without question. But now a small part of him felt as if it was no longer right to murder for a personal vendetta. He supposed that was Sonic's influence on him combined with the horrors he'd seen for the past twenty odd years.

Sonic had always been a pacifist at heart. Always fighting to protect or so that he didn't have to again. Shadow though he wasn't always the peace loving type. There was a time when he killed for amusement, and tortured for his own sick pleasure. Shade had seen the good in him though and brought it out. She had redeemed him; and now he was pondering a similar moral question. Vengeance at the cost of the world, or turn the other cheek at the cost of his freedom. Shadow's thoughts were interrupted by a loud bang on his door. He got up and opened it to see Convel standing in full gear.

"C'mon we're at the next recruiting location." H said before turning and leaving.

"Same set up?" asked Sonic when Shadow met them at the exit ramp.

"No, this is a wastelander village you need to be the hero here; I'll just stand in the back looking menacing to show that you already have some military might." explained Convel.

"Anything I should be sure to say?" asked Sonic timidly.

"Be sure to remind them what The Inquisition cost them, make sure they know that it's the UF's fault that they lost there home, and most of all make sure you tell them they will lose their freedom to a tyrant other wise."

"Alright let's go then." said Tails as the ramp lowered and they exited the craft.

The town was little more than several bombed out building and dirt. Children ran around kicking up great trails of dust. As they entered the town they passed a large memorial with 'In memory of those who lost their lives at the hands of the UF tyrants'. Convel chuckled at this knowing it just made things easier for them. A shotgun wielding raccoon walked up to them, shaking with fear at the sight of this supposed raider war band that was entering his town.

"Don't worry we are not here to hurt you, just ask something of you." said Sonic reassuringly.

"What's that?" asked The Raccoon.

"We ask you join us in our quest for freedom from the miserable existence you are forced to live because of the UF. I offer you freedom from fear of raiders attacking you in the middle of the night, to slit you throat for a few bucks. But above all I offer you the chance to avenge those that you lost in your stand for freedom against tyranny." said Sonic epically.

"A lot of young men thought that way a few months back, they thought we could remain free of outside influence and oppression. They set up a little army here and said they would fight to the death before submitting. You know what happened to them? A single Black Guard platoon killed them all. What hope do you have?" asked The Raccoon angrily.

"For one we know their tactics, equipment, everything. Also we happen to already have the support of powerful alliances. So what do you say are you with me?"

"How can you possibly know that?" asked The Raccoon raising an eyebrow.

"I'm Sonic the Hedgehog." said Sonic simply.

"Sonic was killed for treason along with his entire squad back on Angel Island."

"Did he, then what other lightning fast blue hedgehogs do you know of?" asked Sonic sarcastically.

"How do I know you have super speed?"

Sonic replied simply by running rings around him so fast he was nothing but a blur. "So know do you believe me?"

"You're Sonic. You're Sonic and that means if you survived these other must be..."

"Yes we all made out alive except for Fang who was killed fighting for the UF who betrayed us without provocation." said Sonic darkly.

"Wait you weren't traitors?"

"No but I'm pretty damn sure setting up a rebel army is high treason, so what do you say?" asked Sonic extending his hand.

"Shit, if it means we don't have to worry about the UF we're in." said The Raccoon shaking Sonic's hand and shaking it firmly.

"Well C'mon then we need to go spread the word, get more support, and all that." said Convel walking back to the ship.

"So how many more towns do we have to win over?" asked Knuckles.

"Were gonna have to keep doing this for at least a solid two months, then word of mouth will take over after we win our first battle." said Convel.

"Wait a second we gotta train and equip these people; that's gonna take a damn sight longer than two months." said Rouge.

"I know that's where you and your black market contacts come in." replied Convel.

"Even with black market support we can't mold civilians into soldiers in two months; and if you think raiders will make up our main force during it well they aren't much better." said Tails.

"We won't just be using raiders and civilians." said Convel.

"Then who?" asked Shadow.

"That depends do you and Knuckles still have any ties with the Nocturne?"

* * *

**Chapter 2: Chapter 2**

* * *

"The Nocturne, I haven't spoken to them in years." said Shadow.

"Neither have I." said Knuckles.

"Well you two need to start rebuilding some of those bridges; a clan of warrior echidnas could prove useful. After all as you said we can't win a war with civilians and raiders, we need some real soldiers." said Convel sighing from disappointment.

"One more thing mate." said Tails Stepping on the now lowered entrance ramp.

"What's that?" asked Convel raising an eyebrow?

"Even with all the black market contacts in the world we haven't got enough money to buy the resources necessary to supply an entire army."

"Then we'll scavenge the battle fields until we can build weapon factories." said Convel simply.

"Where the hell are we going to build them and who will man them; war is a logistical nightmare this isn't going to be as easy as you think!" shouted Tails tired of Convel's attitude that it will all work out.

"I know how hard war is; in case you've forgotten war is almost my entire life. Metropolis is bound to have been abandoned by the Inquisition, has scrap metal for construction every where, and is close enough to Angel Island that we can power it off of residual power from the master emerald!" barked back Convel.

"And you think that raw recruits will be able to take what's bound to be the most heavily guarded place in Mobius?" yelled Tails; Convel Grew tired of Tails' constant questioning and grabbed him by the throat and slammed him against the wall of the ship.

"Now you listen to me you snot nosed little fucking know it all; I've thought about this long and hard and don't intend on getting anymore of us killed!" shouted Convel shaking with anger. "We will take Angel Island, we will get the necessary troops and supplies, and we will win! Now if your that concerned with the logistics in due time you'll be the head of all of this; but until then I need your sniper skills. Fang trained you to be the best sniper I've seen since him so you're going to have to help me."

Convel dropped Tails from the hold he had him in and stomped off. Tails gasped for breath and put Fang's old hat back on. Sonic helped tails up and the two of them sulked off to the kitchen. Knuckles took a step after them but Rouge stopped him and went after them herself. It was probably they would need a woman's soft touch to mend the gap that Convel had just created between them.

The craft's engines roared to life as Convel prepared to take off. Shadow went to the cockpit as they left earth and began speeding towards their next destination. When he entered is silently he saw Convel slumped over in the pilot's chair; in his balled up fist stuck out the chain that held the stone of the Clamort's. Convel had taken his armor off and sat there in his warrior robes sobbing. Convel's complex nature was in full display here; one moment he showed nothing but rage and lack of any sympathy the next he was nothing but misery and emotion.

Shadow couldn't help but feel sorry for the wolf. He too was just as fucked up from the roller coaster of emotions that life had presented the two of them. It was odd when they first met Convel had seemed friendly but overall Shadow didn't think they were at all alike; and now after a little over two years of fighting together Shadow saw how similar the two were. He couldn't believe it but he felt as if he was closer them than his 'brother' Sonic and he had ever been. Convel Stood up noticed Shadow and-to Shadow's surprise-didn't try to hide what he had just been doing at all. He just nodded and walked out of the cockpit.

Shadow walked back to his room and lay down on his cot. He realized after laying in it for a few minutes that something was beneath it. When he pulled the small thing under his bed he saw that it was a small book with the words 'In Loving Memory' written on the cover. He opened it and saw that it was a photo album; a photo album filled with pictures of Shade, Manic's baby pictures, everything that he missed all there in front of him. Shadow spent hours flipping through the book crying, laughing, and remembering all the stories behind the pictures.

Shadow finally fell asleep with the book lying open on his chest. It was the only picture ever taken that had his entire family in it. A still pregnant Shade sat laughing at Sonic who Amy had just hit over the head for being a smart ass. Manic stood in the background with Shadow arms over each other's shoulders smiling. Knuckles had his arm rapped around Sonia smiling perversely as She ate a giant hotdog. A scene of a happy family that was destined to be torn apart in a few months.

Manic would die in three months in self-sacrifice. Sonia too would die in that same year; only she would have to suffer the pain of a biological agent killing her slowly. Shade would live just long enough to make it off of maternity leave before GUN would betray her. And finally Amy and the unborn Manic would both die in an attack on Central City by Robotnik.

* * *

Two months later Shadow was standing in a darkly lit room surrounded by hundreds of thousands of volunteers. He didn't know how, but somehow Convel had managed to assemble this army in only two months. Each of them held discarded and beaten rifles that hadn't seen combat since their original owners had died, each of them stood proudly full of ideals, each of them stood inexperienced and doomed to die in battle. Sonic took the stage from Convel who after two months of constant wearing had to discard his armor; the constant aggressive persuasion many of the bandits required had reduce it to little more than a giant colander.

"Alright, so all of you know what we are about to do, all of you know that there is no turning back now, and most importantly all of you know it's the right thing to do." said Sonic "So look to your left and right. These people will be your best friends for the coming struggles, and each will face their own trials, which you must help them with. We will win this war but I don't know what it's going to take; so anyone here who is thinking of dropping out and going home know this. We will not give an inch, we will not stop, we will not lose, we will carve a path straight into the heart of Mobotropolis and kill every motherfucker their. So think good and hard on whether or not you want to fight against a pox like that." Sonic paused a second to let his words resonate; he really had become a master of the spoken language over the months. "Good, now brothers let's go out and show them what the monsters under their beds look like. OI! OI! OI!" he screamed before grabbing a rifle and jumping out of the drop bay doors of the massive ship.

Shadow ran after him and felt the earth fall away ass he hurtled towards the landing site. He looked behind him to see Convel and Knuckles along with a see of brave men and women all falling with him. Shadow refocused on the earth that was speeding towards him, he counted to ten, and then finally pulled the string and felt his chute yank him upwards. Surveying the sky around him he saw knuckles and all of the soldiers doing the same; all except Convel who had just rocketed past Sonic and was still free falling towards the island below.

"C'mon even you aren't that dumb." said Shadow to himself.

But sure enough Convel was dumb enough, he had jumped without a chute and was now going to hit the ground at terminal velocity. Or so Shadow thought when Convel got to the top of the nearest tree he pulled out his dagger and stabbed into the center of the tree. His knife slid threw the massive tree slowing him down to a safe crawl before he hit the ground. Shadow and Sonic landed next to him with to soft thuds and began to cut themselves free of their cumbersome chutes.

"You know mate you've proved to me that cats aren't the ones with all the lives. It fucking wolves because you must have used up at least a thousand by now." said Shadow.

"There's a reason they call 'em pussy cats." said Convel grinning.

"Hah, enough chatter let's get down to business." said Sonic picking his assault rifle up off the ground and walking off into the thick tropical brush.

They had to move slowly and deliberately to avoid detection. The island was crawling with enemy soldiers which when coupled with the shear size of their assault party made detection inevitability. The trick was how close to the base could they get to the main compound before they were exposed. While Sonic, Shadow, and Knuckles stepped softly barely making a noise in the jungle Convel, who was more accustomed to fighting in wide open areas or forests, struggled to remain quiet as he stomped through the flora.

After several tense minutes of walking they finally got to the edge of the rain forest. Below them in a valley sat a base that was all too familiar; Black Guard soldiers guarded every wall standing alert in case anyone tried to attack them with their guard down. The soldiers got into separate squads at Sonic's command and spread out along the tree line. Sonic nodded to Shadow and Convel to tell them to initiate operation 'Fallen Angel'. Shadow ran out towards the base at lightning speed and slammed his body snugly up against the great defensive wall to avoid detection. Shadow took out a beacon and slapped it on the base's wall before turning and running as it beeped.

Just as he got back to the tree line a bomb fell out of the sky and slammed right into the center of the base's fortifications. Now that the sneaky part was pretty much done Sonic raised his hand and they all charged into the now active hornets nest. Convel lead what basically amounted to the suicidal bandit squad out in front. Enemy fire streaked across the air killing dozens of soldiers before they got close enough to get a solid aim on them.

Shadow jumped behind a couple of soldiers who had already fallen to the fury of the machine gun fire. He slapped a fresh clip into his rifle, sat up a little, and fired at the machine gun positions to suppress them. When the fire stopped for a few seconds Shadow jumped up and ran roe what remained of the wall. When he smacked up against it he found a soldier with his intestines hanging out whimpering; being treated by a medic with one hand, who was being covered by a soldier with one arm.

Shadow could see if they didn't end this soon they would lose this battle; which very well could be the entire war right there. Shadow swung out from his cover and fired randomly at enemy positions, bobbing and weaving between cover, and finally rushing straight towards a sniper who was relocating. A Black Guard trooper jumped out from one of the machine gun nests that Shadow had just taken out and tackled him. The trooper pulled out his knife and tried desperately to slit Shadow's throat, but every time the blade came close Shadow just dodged it.

Finally Shadow swung at the desperate guard, knocking him off top of him. Shadow stood up, pulled out his sidearm, and shot the man in the back of the head before he could scramble to his feet. Shadow turned and focused on the sniper that had just so narrowly avoided him. However when he got to the sniper's nest the bastard was nowhere to be found. After searching there for a few minutes Shadow felt a sharp sting in his collarbone and sudden weight pull down on him. Shadow realized what was happening too late.

The sniper had hidden in the rafters and dropped down on Shadow narrowly missing the vital points. Shadow slammed his back into the wall repeatedly trying in vain to shake off the sniper. He could feel the bastard groping for his pistol; Shadow struggled to keep the sniper from getting what he wanted. Just when the pistol left Shadow's grasp a shot rang out. Shadow clenched his teeth ready for the pain of the bullet piercing flesh; but it never came. Shadow turned and saw Sonic had shot the fucker.

"Thanks for that."

"Don't mention it, now let's move out getting to the master emerald isn't going to be easy."

The two of them ran of into the bowels of the base leaving for the nasty, hard fought, inch for inch fighting to everyone else. Firing at any large threat to the men and women outside as they went. They were surprised at how little opposition they faced when they actually got into the base. But after all the guards were probably more focused on eliminating the massive rebel army outside, than two ex-field agents.

Their little casual run to the emeralds stopped however as soon as they got outside the vault. Dozens of Inquisitors surrounded them on all sides, weapons at the ready. They were out numbered and out gunned; even Sonic couldn't dodge a bullet from a dead stop. They had no choice; they dropped their weapons and hoped that the battle would end swiftly. The Black Guard wasn't sure who they were but knew enough to keep them alive in case they knew something; so they forced the two of them to walk over to a makeshift prison, also known as a broom closet, and locked them in.

As Shadow and Sonic were imprisoned with the dustbins, Knuckles and Convel were back-to-back fighting off droves of enemy soldiers. Machine gun fire permeated the air and dusted the ground, a soldier ran up to Convel and found a dagger sinking in his throat. Another soldier jumped high in the air hoping to hit them from above, however instead of sweat victory he only felt the kiss of dozens of lead pellets from Knuckles' shotgun. Another three men charged them from one side. Convel slid in front of Knuckles and ducked beneath his guns' barrels, Knuckles shot two of them and the third felt Convel's knife go through his eye.

The pair turned to see another wave of Inquisition soldiers storming out of the base guns ablaze. Convel pulled out his claymore and charged in; Knuckles laughed at his friend's eagerness to enter the battle and shouldered his assault rifle. Convel slashed and stabbed his way through dozens of men; those who didn't fall to his fury felt Knuckles' gunfire. Knuckles casually strolled behind his friend until they were right against the enemy lines. It seemed like every enemy soldier stood behind some cover defending his or her line. There was no getting around it, they were pinned.

"Tails, please tell me that in one of those birds you got for us there's at least one bomb left." panted Convel.

"As a matter of fact I do, you need one?"

"Yes, would you mind rush delivery?" asked Knuckles.

"Special delivery, danger close." said Tails flying low enough that his wake ruffled their fur.

"When the fuck have I ever worried about danger close?" asked Convel as he got out from cover.

"Never." replied Knuckles stepping over what he was fairly sure was once a torso.

"Damn straight!" barked Convel curb stomping a survivor who was dragging himself to an assault rifle.

"C'mon let's catch up with Shadow and Sonic, this fights over."

Shadow sat on an over turned bucket, casually flipping some detergent. Sonic paced about waiting for the gunfire they could hear echoing through the halls to stop. Then outside the men guarding them started firing wildly and screaming. The shooting stopped and the y heard the distinctive sound of a man running. Then they hear the unmistakable sound of a neck snapping and silence. Sonic realizing what was happening went up to the door and banged loudly on it. Sure enough Convel burst through it and stood up with his knives at both of their throats.

"Down boy, we're friendly." said Sonic.

"Oh good I thought you boys were off lost somewhere." said Convel stepping back.

"Here you two will want one of these." said Knuckles tossing them a couple of now owner-less rifles.

"Thanks, come on we need to go break into the vault." said Sonic stepping out of the closet.

"How's thing's outside?" asked Shadow.

"All but won." replied Convel.

"Good once we bust that vault open we can go through and mop up the stragglers." said Sonic.

The walked up to the massive vault and got straight to business, planting explosive charges all over the thing. They were liberal with the explosive knowing that almost nothing they did could destroy the emeralds inside. When they blew the door in to twisted shrapnel they were rewarded with their main reason for coming to Angel Island, The Chaos Emeralds. Just as they entered the vault they heard the stomping of hundred of feet as their men stormed the base. They sat back and enjoyed the sweet moment of victory.

A few hours later they stood at the end of one of the runways waiting for Tails and Rouge to land. The rest of their illegally acquired air force sat around celebrating their first victory of hopefully many. When the black ship finally touched down and the ramp lowered Convel was the first to it. He scooped Rouge up in his arms, set her on his shoulder and walked off to the base smiling. Tails stepped off the plane with Fang's old hat cocked back grinning toothily.

"Looks like we won eh." said Tails with an air of cockiness.

"Yea but remember this is only the first step in a long war, I'd be surprised if every battle went this well." said Shadow.

"Lighten up bro, for now let's be happy at our massive victory." said Sonic.

"Alright let's go get a drink."

"So when we get done recovering from a hangover what's our next move?" asked Knuckles.

"First we build up this base so we have a secure headquarters, then we make it self sufficient, and then finally The Blue Ridge Zone." said Sonic.

"But I thought manic reduced that to little more than scorched earth." said Knuckles confused.

"He did but The UF has a secret base there with all of their troop positions, weapons info, and so on and so forth. Everything we need to fight this war basically." replied Sonic.

"But we'll have to be quiet about this so it's just gonna be the old four man team." said Shadow.

"Ah sneaking into a government building with the sole intent of fucking people up, brings back memories."

"Sure does, but for now let's get smashed." said Sonic downing a couple of shots rapid fire.

* * *

**Chapter 3: Chapter 3**

* * *

A cold arctic wind swept through the wasteland. A soldier tried to light his cigarette as he shook himself, a feeble temp to warm himself in the blizzard. The lighter clicked and sparked but didn't catch; the man threw the thing down in frustration. He couldn't see where it landed let alone his own hand so gave up on his smoke break. He turned to continue his patrol; he didn't even see the knife that hurtled towards him. The soldier fell dead, his blood staining the white ground crimson.

Shadow walked quietly up to wrench his knife out of the guard's forehead. It was a perfect kill, Convel would have been proud. Sonic touched his back to tell him it was a friendly behind him. They skulked off towards the base entrance. The frozen wasteland gave them the perfect opportunity for a silent insertion; the snow blocked almost any form of sensor from working, and made searching by eye as intelligent as eating a live grenade. The two got to the edge of the main compound and went prone to help protect against snipers with thermal scopes.

They crawled to the edge of the electrified fence, cut a hole, and snaked through. They leaned up against a wall, pulled out their rifles, and edged towards the nearest door. Sonic slowly creaked it open and peaked in; there was one guard inside sleeping with his feet up on a table. Shadow crouched down and walked slowly up to the sleeping sentry, he grabbed the poor soldiers neck and snapped it.

Sonic opened the door out into the hall and took point. Shadow followed quietly behind covering their six. They made their way to the main server room as quietly as possible stopping only to slit a guards throat and hide his body. When they got to the server room they were still undetected, thank the gods, and got straight to work hooking the decryption drive Tails had rigged up to each of the servers. After copying each of the servers hard drives, they uploaded several viruses that would give the UF techs a massive headache.

Now that the quiet shit was done it was time to remove this little base from the back of their minds. They snuck off to the munitions storage area. They were just about there when Knuckles radioed them with bad news. Bad news that of course concerned Convel's lack of discretion.

"Uh guys I got some bad news." He said.

"What?" whispered Sonic hiding behind a support beam as a guard walked by.

"Well after we got done planting the charges on the fuel depot we went to the garage, and uh we encountered some friends."

"Where's Convel?" asked Shadow.

He got there first so they only got him held up, but something tells me they aren't going to tell him to get down on the ground for much longer."

"How many are there?"

"Too may for me to take on my own."

"Right we're heading right over." said Shadow.

Sonic ran off towards the nearest exit. Shadow after hesitating ran to catch up with him. They would now be giant blobs on anybodies thermal scanner, now that they were running this fast. They stopped after only running flat out for a minute to see Convel stubbornly arguing with a group of guards, who all had their guns trained on his face. Sonic crouched down and pulled out his binoculars to see just how many there were. Shadow saw him counting the soldiers and weighing the odds; eventually Shadow grew impatient with Sonic's cautiousness and charged right in.

Sonic reached out for his arm to stop him but it was too late. Shadow shot the three soldiers closest to him, dropped to his knees, shot another two guards, threw his knife at the throat of another, jumped up as he reloaded to catch the knife, landed, stabbed the nearest soldier in the eye, and shot the last two. Convel walked over and chest bumped him. Sonic and Knuckles ran over when the dust settled with amazement written all over their faces.

"The boy's learned well, hasn't he." said Convel grinning toothily.

"Damn now it looks like we have two bad asses to deal with." said Knuckles.

"Yea, well comes on let's finish up here. I'll pop the evac flare." said Sonic

They planted the last of the C4 on the trucks, tanks, and various other war vehicles, armed it and walked off into the white to catch their ride. As Tails air lifted them out Convel and Shadow pressed the two detonators and watched the base explode in a massive fireball. The blizzard temporarily lost its hold on the area but it soon snuffed out anything that was left. They closed the chopper side doors and sat back for the long ride back to Angel Island.

When they landed the first thing shadow did was get out of his arctic survival suit. It was more than a little uncomfortable going from the arctic temperatures of The Blue Ridge wasteland to the tropics of Angel Island. Convel who was a timber wolf didn't have any more clothing than what he normally did so the lucky bastard just shook himself dry of the melted snow and walked off to the bar. After a long difficult process of figuring out which zipper unzipped what they went to join him around one of the few real tables that their makeshift bar had.

"So what's the plan?" asked Convel pouring them each tumblers of brandy.

"For now we sit back and enjoy life while we get this info sorted out." said Sonic.

"Good health then." said Convel raising his glass, they clinked their drinks together and drank deeply.

"Hey Convel, I've been wondering, how did you and Rouge meet up. I mean you're a bad ass Clamort and She's a jewel thief it doesn't add up." said Shadow drunkenly several drinks later.

"I was a merc back before my people officially entered the war," said Convel slurring his S's even more than his accent usually made him. "One day I was in Night Babylon and I saw these thugs attacking here. Never one to let anyone to hit a woman I attacked and nearly killed all of them, one bastard just dodged me knife. Well she was very thankful and offered to buy me a drink. While in some pub we got to talking, I said I was a merc traveling through. She asked if I had a place to stay, I said no, and the rest is history. Oh and I later found out that those 'thugs' were casino security, trying to get a stolen diamond back from her."

"Nice, pass the bottle." said Sonic leaning back in his chair.

"So Knux tell me you ever think about what it would be like if this shit had turned out like this?" asked Convel.

"Wuddya mean Conv?"

"What if the war hadn't started, what if Robotnik had been content with just being a senator? What they had survived?"

"Who had survived?" asked Shadow curiously.

"Our families."

"I don't know mate, we probably wouldn't have met you, we'd probably be gun agents about to enjoy an early retirement." said Sonic.

"Yea and I'd still be some ass hole merc killing people for a few bucks, so I could go waste it on booze." said Convel darkly.

They looked around the table at each other silently for a few minutes. Convel then sat up and poured them all drinks before downing the entire bottle himself. He got up after a few more minutes of awkward silence, and walked out of the bar. They soon followed suit. Shadow took the back path not wanting to any of the soldiers to see one of their generals in a drunken stupor.

As he walked along the barley lit path through the ruins of the old base he saw Convel leaning up against a wall. As Shadow approached Convel leaned forward and vomited all over the floor. The wolf fell to his knees and shuddered. Shadow ran to his aid but Convel raised his hand. He then pulled out his combat knife and stabbed himself in the back. Shadow reached for the knife to pull it out of his newly suicidal friend; but Convel just pushed him back.

Convel then twisted the blade around, almost as if he was searching for something in his back. He finally pulled the blade out. He held something in his palm, which he tossed at Shadow. It was a massive piece of shrapnel the size of a fist. Shadow looked at Convel as if to ask 'really?'. Convel just stood pressing a now red cloth to his wound, nodded and limped off to the infirmary.

Shadow made a mental note to ask Convel about this later, and went on his way. When he got back to his bunk he found a note taped to the steel frame. It read _the techs got the shit decrypted, the UF knows about the sanctuary._ Shit, the sanctuary was where they kept all of the civilians that didn't want to or couldn't be part of the uprising. If the UF knew about it then they would send the Black Guard on a scorched earth mission. Which would likely demoralize the rag tag army they had to the point of mass surrender in hopes that they would be spared.

But they could spin this in their advantage. The soldiers would fight harder to defend their families, and approval ratings would plummet if the UF's populace found out about it. Shadow went out into the hall and saw Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails all suited up walking off to deliver the news to the soldiers. Shadow grabbed the shotgun he had leaning up against the wall and quickly caught up with them.

When they got out into the main encampment area it was a scene of chaotic celebration. By now the soldiers had heard of their little espionage and were drunk with the joy of victory. Sonic tried several times to get their attention but nothing was going to distract them from their festivities. Finally Shadow got tired of waiting, pointed the shotgun in the air, and unleashed a volley until they all quieted.

"Thanks for that, as you all probably know by know we attacked and destroyed an UF intelligence site earlier today," said Sonic pausing for they joyous screams that followed. "However intelligence show that they know about Sanctuary. I know a great many of you have wives, kids, parents, and friends there. And I'm sure you all know that The UF is willing to kill all of them if it meant it might hurt us psychologically. So tonight we collect the spoils of Angel Island and leave to defend what inspires us. Collect yourself because I'm sure The UF is going to give the bastards in charge of The Inquisition full leeway in this mission. So it's more than likely that we'll be fighting things we've only heard of and couldn't imagine."

"Right once you collect yourselves Convel's guard go with him to Rouge's ship you'll be the advance force. Give 'em hell if we don't get there in time. You pukes that Tails has been teaching to fly get ready for one hell of a baptism of fire and get in The UF fighter we got. The rest of you know your battalions and CO's so get with them." said Knuckles.

With that there was a flurry of activity. Men abandoned what ever they were doing grabbed their rifles and ran off to meet up into their squads. The makeshift air force all ran to the fighters they had and began the preflight checks. As Shadow, Knuckles, and Sonic all got into their ship with all but the Master emerald in tow they looked up to see the pinprick that was Rouge's ship disappear over the horizon. Shadow hoped to god that they got there in time.

* * *

Convel stood shoulder to shoulder with his specially trained shock troops. They were an elite corps of berserkers armed with only claymores and knives. Each of them had endured the hells of Convel's intense training process and were now as good as any Clamort warrior. In a prebattle ritual they chanted the Clamort creed.

My weapon is my mind

My tool is my claymore

My home is the battlefield

My family is my only ally

The plane shook with from Black Guard AA fire exploding nearby.

I will not stop

I will never submit

I will not become your slave

I will fight to the last

The drop doors open and they steeled themselves for the jump into the chaos below.

I am a weapon of mass of mass destruction in my own right

I am the monster you said isn't real

I am the hell you fear

I am your doom

The plane shuddered as a shell hit it directly taking down the shields, Rouge screamed back to jump soon.

I am Clamort

And with that they jumped into the night air and into the confusion of battle.

* * *

**Chapter 4: Chapter 4**

* * *

Convel fell faster and faster towards the hell below. The few men they had posted at Sanctuary were doing their best but even from here it was clear they would soon be overrun. Convel made his body his body as streamline as possible; he used his legs as a sort of ruder and flew right towards the makeshift wall their men had erected. Just before he pulled the cord on his chute a massive explosion below through him like a rag doll. He thudded against the soft earth like a football, bounced a few times and rolled slowly to a stop.

He opened his eyes slowly and blinked away the blindness as the blood came back to his head. His ears were ringing and his body shaking. He vomited up some blood, spit, and got up shakily. His leg was definitely broken; he dragged it behind him as he limped towards the wall. As sensation came back to him he realized that one of his knives was deeply imbedded in his side. He pulled it out slowly wincing as he navigated it through his body without piercing any of his vitals.

When he finally got to the wall most of his men were out on the battlefield killing, reinforcing the wall, or on their way to the small med tent they had set up. Convel inched his way up to the opening in the wall the explosion had created; screaming I'm friendly in his native tongue. Hoping to god one of his men knew enough to know what he was screaming, or at least recognize his voice. Sure enough his lieutenant walked up to the barrier with an extended arm as soon as he saw Convel was going to need help up. Just as He was being pulled up bullets ripped through his back, He shuddered and fell back rolling down the hill.

He ended up at the feet of an Inquisitor, there was no mistaking it this guy was spec ops. Convel saw a large rock lying nearby just out of his reach. He dragged himself over to it with one hand, as his other was now no longer working. The Inquisitor saw him and walked over. He pressed the barrel of his rifle to Convel's temple. Convel twisted his body around smacking the gun away with his limp arm. He lunged at the man knocking him over and started pounding on his helmet with the rock.

The helmets visor shattered under the force sending ballistic glass into the bastards face. He cringed and screamed in agony as the glass perforated his eyes. Convel kept up the assault not stopping even when the man stopped moving. When the inside of the helmet was nothing but goo someone grabbed his arm to stop him. Convel looked up to see Shadow grinning.

"Looks like The Inquisition forgot the golden rule you set way back when." He said pulling Convel up and slinging his arm over His shoulder.

"Don't fuck with Convel." He chuckled.

Shadow set Convel down on a gurney and pushed him inside of Sanctuary. The lights kept flickering and the walls shook with each explosion out side. Water dripped from the ceiling as they went deeper into the subterranean complex. Children were huddled in corners with their mothers shaking in fear at what was happening. One pair of children stared at the two of them as Shadow pushed him along; Convel just smiled and waved. The gesture wasn't as comforting as He had hoped it would be seeing how his jaw was broken and fingers snapped. One boy ran up to the gurney keeping up as best he could.

"Please can you tell me where my big brother is, he went out when the bad men started shooting." He asked.

"I, I don't know son, a lot of people's brothers are out their why don't you go and pray that they all get to see them again." replied Convel Spitting out blood on the floor so he could speak clearly.

The child just nodded his head and ran off to his family. Finally Shadow rammed him through a pair of double doors and into the makeshift OR. They bright lights shone down upon him revealing the true extent of his injuries. Rouge was in there acting as a nurse, she saw Convel carted in and ran over to him. She saw how bad he was and started crying. He raised his hand and began rubbing her cheek and singing the only song he could, it was a song glorifying the sacrifice of a soldier; but in his tongue it sounded a little like a lullaby.

"Why you crying Love?" He asked when she finally looked him in the eyes.

"You're going to die, I know it, and there's nothing I can do about it." She choked through her downpour of tears.

"Eh, don't worry I'm sure any doc we've got round here is more than capable of applying a band-aide." He tried to be reassuring but anyone who could see knew he was on his last legs.

"Oh I'm more than qualified for that." said the lizard Surgeon.

"Right, see Love I'll be up and killing in no time." Convel said, which finally got Rouge to smile.

"If you die on the table I will kick your ass as soon as I get to the afterlife." She threatened.

"I believe it." He said as He went under.

"You should go out and rejoin the fighting you'll be more helpful there." Rouge said.

Shadow nodded and ran out the door. After creating a back draft so powerful he knocked kids over Shadow rejoined the chaos outside. Tails and the rest of the flyboys were dropping bombs left and right on entrenched Black Guard. Sonic was standing on top of a mound rallying everyone for a massive charge. Knuckles stood next to him gunning down every bastard who tried to get a pot shot on Sonic. Shadow grabbed an assault riffle off one of the dead defenders and ran to join Sonic.

When he got there they were just beginning the charge. Shadow and Sonic were easily out in front of everyone. Every so often a soldier would jump out of cover, to be met by three rounds in the gut from one of their rifles. They were doing a classic enclosing wedge. First they would punch through the enemy position; then they would surround the to pockets of resistance they had created and kill everyone.

Or at least that was the plan they had. The Inquisition on the other hand recognized that Tails' bombardment coupled with the influx of almost every soldier in the rebellion was too much. They had their lower ranked men throw themselves onto the charging rebels. While The Inquisitors took pot shots and summoned their contingency plan. Shadow and Sonic ran smack dab into a wall of psychic energy.

They stepped back and looked up to see the contingency plan. A massive hunter demon. They looked at each other, nodded, and ran for their lives. Fire rained down upon them torching dozens of their men. Knuckles saw the demon and opened is mouth so wide that the cigar he had been smoking fell out of his mouth. Sonic grabbed Knuckles by the arm and kept on running.

Tails lead a massive effort in the entire air force dropping their remaining payload on the creature, but even that wasn't enough. The troops rallied in the trenches picking up all of the anti tank guns and missile launcher they had. At once 400 requests to fire pinged in Sonic's HUD; he granted them without hesitation. Simultaneously every one of them pulled the trigger.

Explosions cover the beast causing it to stumble and fall. However the battle wasn't over yet; the creature still breathed. It's jaws snapped and it spawned great jets of white-hot flame from its nostrils as it tried everything to kill them. What little artillery they had at last roared to life and rained hurt down upon it. When the rain was over the creature's eyes dimmed, nostrils flared, body twitched, and it died.

Everyone around Shadow threw up their arms and hugged in celebration, Shadow however knew it wasn't over yet. He stood there solemnly for a moment and then marched out onto the battlefield. They men saw him, collected themselves, and followed. One massive mob descending upon whatever remained; they're march sounded like thunder as many pounded their chest defiantly. They at last got to The UF encampment and found what was left.

50 Inquisitors shaking with fear as they faced thousands of heavily armed rebels. One of them dropped their gun and raised his hands. The other 49 soon followed suit. Shadow raised his hand; the entire front line of rebels raised their rifles and took aim. Shadow looked at the 50 men who now stood there begging for their lives and laughed. He lowered his hand swiftly and all of the rebels fired reducing the 50 into confetti.

As they walked back it began to rain washing the blood of thousand of men into the dug out channels and trenches. Shadow wiped away the mud that covered his face and walked into sanctuary. The families got out from their hiding holes timidly. They seemed to gain heart when they saw that it wasn't just Shadow who was coming in from the battle but everyone. The celebration at taking out so many Black Guard and Inquisitors soon filled the halls.

Shadow however was too concerned with the condition of his friend to worry about celebrating. Convel's men stood outside the OR pacing about nervously. They looked up to see him, nodded, and went back to their worry. Shadow walked right through the double doors to see how it was going. One of the soldiers reached out halfheartedly to stop him; but he wanted to know too badly to put forth any real effort.

"How is he?" he asked Rouge when he saw her.

"The operation is in the stitch up phase so it looks like he'll be fine. Although it will take a few months for him to be back to his normal self." She replied looking relieved.

"How long until it'll be safe to move him?"

"Well we can right now. We put him in my ships med bay because the power in there was more stable. Why?"

"Good, The UF knows about this place do you honestly think they'll stop after one battle?" Asked Sonic walking in.

"Where will we go then?" asked Rouge.

"I left a few men back at Angel Island, they say it's still safe there so we're moving everyone and everything there."

"When?" asked Shadow.

"We've already started."

Shadow walked out of the OR and sure enough the celebration was over it was time to focus on survival again. Everyone civilian had grabbed as much as they could carry and were now sidling the hallway. The soldiers kept directing people out of Sanctuary and into the evac ships. Every 20 minutes like clockwork a new ship would touchdown to take more civilians. Barely a stones throw away from the evacuation effort mass graves were being dug and filled with Inquisition forces.

Children looked in horror as they saw limp bodies being swung and tossed into the freshly dug pits. The trenches were already packed with bodies and being covered with dirt. For the thousands of rebels who gave their lives, there was a more dignified burial. Each man was given his own grave and his helmet and rifle made into a battlefield cross.

Shadow went over to the tag-sorting table where every soldier's tags were examined so the families could be informed of their son's death. The table had a stack three feet high that took up almost the entire table. The sorters hands were covered in blood that wasn't theirs as they rubbed the tags clean enough to read the names. The sorted tags were put in a bag, any family that wanted their loss' tag could have other wise they would be melted down and used for more tags or repairs.

By the time the Ships started coming to evacuate soldiers the graves had been filled, the tags sorted, and the rain had stopped. The sun was just starting to poke over the hills and showed better that the fires had just how badly scarred the land was. Craters covered massive portions of what used to be pristine fields, ashes whipped through the air, scrap and debris covered what ever wasn't mud. And as Shadow turned to see the hill that Sanctuary was under he saw lines of battlefield crosses covering the entire hill.

The evac planes and choppers had to land on top of the soft earth that served as their enemy's graves. Shadow walked past the carcass of the dead demon to the last ride out. He walked up the all too familiar exit ramp and into the mess hall. Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails sat at the table drinking coffee mixed with a healthy dose of Convel's scotch. He sat down and took his liquor straight.

"Tails I thought you had your own ride." He said as they took off.

"Got shot down." said Tails simply.

"Managed to keep Fang's hat on your scalp though I see." He said.

"Oh I didn't even know I had it on to begin with when I took off." He said laughing.

"So are we gonna talk about that fucking demon or what?" said Knuckles finally.

"Yea that's been bugging me too," said Sonic. "Back in our day summoning a demon was punishable by death. If they're willing to risk the entire world just to wipe us out that means that there's been a serious change in methods."

"Maybe there's been a change in management." said Tails.

"What the hell do you mean, that bastard wasn't going to give up his seat of power without a fight." said Knuckles leaning forward anxiously.

"Think about it," said Tails. "It's probably the same reason he betrayed you guys. You two were war heroes, and heroes loved even before that. He probably wanted to make a run in politics and was worried that one of you two were going to run too."

"Then what about Convel?" asked Shadow.

"Wrong place wrong time." He said simply drinking straight from the bottle of liquor.

"Do we know if he's been elected to any office recently?" asked Sonic.

"Hold on I'll check," said Knuckles walking over to the Stratosnet terminal. "Yep he was recently made Secretary of War; oh and two days ago they went public about the rebellion so he's been granted emergency powers."

"So he has almost complete control during wartime." said Shadow shocked at what had happened in the world of politics without his knowledge.

"Has he shown any signs of getting ready to get complete control in some type of coup?" asked Sonic.

"So far he's sticking to the protect our civilization from those who want to take it down at it's weakest moment approach. Just wait until he gets enough of the public support though." said Knuckles walking back over to the table.

"Damn looks like were gonna see a massive influx of enlistees for The UF." said Tails.

"So what the plan?" asked Shadow.

"We're not going to last long if things continue like they are. We need to hit some of their fuel depots, weapons factories, and take some more of their vehicles. For now Angel Island is the most easily defensible option, so we set up there as planned." said Sonic.

"If I might make a suggestion, we might want to try Convel's total war plan." said Rouge walking in.

"What's that?" asked Tails.

"He knew there was a chance that the public support wasn't going to be winnable and we would be cornered," She said in a shaky tone "Although he did hope we would be further along in the war. It upholds one of the most ancient Clamort tactics; if your enemy sees you as a demon and refuses to see other wise make their fears come true. We plunder their crops then burn and salt the earth; attack every exposed settlement and plunder it for resources; cut off supplies going to and from the cities. Then when they feel as if there is no where safe outside of their easily defended cities; you attack them with a scorched earth policy just like everything else."

"Th-that's awful, we're trying to take down people who used that kind of tactics. Doing that would make us no better than them." said Tails shocked that such a plan was even put on the table.

"Is it though, sometimes in war the greatest atrocities must be committed in order for your cause to win." said Knuckles.

"I can't believe you two are even thinking like this; that's the evil we've fought since we were kids."

"But were not kids anymore Tails we've seen there is no good and evil; there's just shades of gray. Surely you can understand that sometimes the ends justify the means." said Knuckles.

"We're not going to stoop to that level for know we fight a clean war, trust me it'll work out." said Sonic putting an end to the subject.

The ship's autopilot pinged three times to tell them that they would be landing soon. Everyone looked around awkwardly for a few minutes until they landed and walked out of the ship. Shadow walked through the base to see that new residents had taken up every square inch of space. Kids ran jumping over ammo crates and artillery shells. Two kids were playing some game with a spent anti-tank rocket tube.

It was on odd fusion of war and peace. Soldiers erected machine gun nests and filled holes in the walls with sand bags. The kids just saw this as a new jungle gym; the exposed re-bar was the monkey bars, the puddles of leaked water a slip and slide, and the collapsed inner walls were a rock wall. Mothers went around wiping their kids faces and asking their kids what they wanted for dinner as a soldier sat leaning back breaking down his rifle and eating a MRE.

Shadow found his old bunk had been transformed into a laundry room; forcing him to take his bedroll outside. It wasn't that bad though the lush tropical forests never got that cold, and supplied plenty of food. He sat down at the tree line and picked a mango to munch on. As he looked down on the scene of community below he felt completely at peace. He finished his mango and lie down on his bedroll looking at the stars. For a moment he wished that he could live like this for the rest of his life; and then he fell asleep.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Chapter 5**

* * *

The smell of food wafted throughout the packed base. Everyone was waking up and making their own breakfasts; they acted as if the traumatic events of the day before hadn't happened. Shadow walked through the still empty hallways to the bar that had now been converted to a sort of restaurant. His combat boots caused a loud stomping noise with each of his steps that resonated throughout the hall awaking anyone who still slept. When he got to the bar he saw Sonic, Tails, and Knuckles all sitting at their old table with their feet propped up waiting for their grub.

"Oi how did ya sleep." said Tails waving him over.

"Better than I have in a while, you?" He said pulling up a chair.

"Can't complain, although it is a little odd having all of these civies in the place."

"Eat up we're going to hit a fuel depot when we're done here." yawned Sonic.

"Already damn, you think we should wait until we're back at full strength?" said Shadow raising an eyebrow.

"As much as I wish we could wait until Conv's back up, war doesn't stop until you're all better. Besides Rouge said it could be months before he's out of hospital." grunted Knuckles as he dug into his plate.

Shadow nodded and waved the bar keep to bring him something to eat. After enjoying the first hot meal they had in months they got up and went to the hangar. By now everyone was up and getting to their duties. The hangar was a flurry of activity as mechanics ran diagnostics, pilots sharpened up on their ground fighting skills, and everyone else sat around in a circle playing dice. They passed Rouge's ship and saw medics rushing around making sure Convel remained stable; this annoyed the mechanics that were trying to repair the damage done by the AA guns. Tails took them to a small black ship that looked like the love child of an arrowhead and a missile.

"Here she is the product of months of engineering." He said proudly.

"Just what the hell is she?" asked Knuckles perplexed.

"It's the latest in stealth troop transport, this thing has the latest cloaking tech making it almost completely invisible to everything but the most powerful scanners."

"Can it hold more than the pilot though, it looks awfully cramped." said Shadow skeptically.

"She can hold four cause it's auto-pilot only like the EATTs The Inquisition uses only safer."

"All right if you're sure it's safe theirs no time to waste, let's go." said Sonic.

When they all got in and sat down in the seats it was exactly like Shadow had imagine it, cramped. Shadow couldn't help but rub shoulders with Knuckles; and Tails kept bumping into Sonic as He programmed the thing with the coordinates. Shadow looked down to see what looked like a seam going down the floor. He inspected the floor moor closely and found hinges behind him. Worried he looked around and finally notice that his seat seamed to be collapsible. He figured out the reason for this and gulped loudly.

"What?" asked Knuckles.

"Tails forgot to tell us just how exactly we get out of here." He said.

"Well it lands doesn't it?" said Sonic.

"Nope." said Shadow timidly.

"Well then how the hell do we get out drop through the bomb doors?" said Knuckles sarcastically.

"Yep." chimed in Tails as if it was completely normal.

"WHAT THE FUCKING HELL!" screamed Knuckles.

"Calm down you have a parachute." said Tails.

"I'm sorry but I don't really have any interest in ending up a splatter on the ground!"

"It's perfectly safe the simulators only showed a 20% catastrophic failure rate compared to the EATTs 50%." said Tails executing the take off matrix.

"20% is still a little too high for a maiden voyage involving Me." said Sonic unsure.

"Look if we die I personally give you permission to kill Me." said Tails tired of their whining.

"Sounds fair." said Shadow.

The death trap took off and speed into the horizon. The thing was blindingly quick; the acceleration nearly caused Shadow to join Knuckles in blacking out. After a few minutes a red light lit up to tell them the drop point was one minute away. Shadow shook Knuckles awake and grabbed his rifle. The light started blinking, as they got ready to fall. Tails held up a hand and counted down 5...4...3...2...1!

The ground fell away form beneath Him suddenly as the rushing air kissed him. The ground grew ever larger beneath him as he approached terminal velocity. Tails did his old trick and flew off towards the Fuel depot to set up in a snipers perch. Knuckles tumbled like a case of cement for a few hundred feet before finally remembering how to fall to his death correctly. When the landscape got too close for comfort Shadow pulled the cord and was jerked upright.

By now the depot's security had seen them and were gathering around their imminent landing site. Shadow pulled out his rifle and slapped a clip in it before raining hell on the unsuspecting officers below. The first few fell to a perfect three round burst that opened up their chests with ease. Once the others realized what was happening they ran for cover. Their desperation was rewarded with getting shot in the back by Him and Sonic.

They landed on the ground and quickly cut loose of their chutes before running into the compound. They immediately went back to back once they got in the depot as guards surrounded them. They just walked around in a circle firing short bursts into the chests of the enemy soldiers. One of the guards tried to play Rambo buy jumping on top of an ammo crate and firing on them with a light machine gun. Tails took care of him by shooting the crate with a high explosive round.

When the guards in the main area were taken care of they went into the warehouse and were immediately pinned down. The guards who had stayed inside were in a defensive position and weren't taking any risks. Shadow threw a smoke grenade, and once the smoke billowed up enough to where they were invisible to the enemy he ran. He was behind them before they could even blink.

He killed the men in the machine gun nearest him and picked up the now open MG. He unloaded it onto the remaining positions while Sonic and Knuckles took pot shots and tossed the occasional grenade. When they were done the depot was now empty and ready to be looted. Sonic went out and signaled the fuel planes to come to get the bounty. While they waited for the planes to come they began setting up to defend their latest conquest from The Inquisition forces that would undoubtedly be coming now.

"Black guard coming in fast and low looks like their gonna do a hot drop from choppers." radioed Tails from his perch.

"Mortar in position and ready to rain the hurt." chimed in Knuckles.

"All right Shadow take your MG out side and get ready I'll man one of the other nests inside the warehouse." said Sonic.

"Affirmative." shadow Said hefting the MG and as much ammo he could carry to one of the sandbag emplacements.

"No doubt they know just who we are so expect stiff resistance." said Tails.

Sure enough twenty choppers materialized over the horizon each carrying a squad of heavily armed soldiers. Tails switched to high explosive rounds and took aim and the gas tank of one of the choppers. His finger twitched and in the blink of an eye the chopper became a fireball. He relocated his cross hairs to the rotor of another chopper, another twitch another squad dead. The choppers by now had realized they were in for one hell of a ride and were losing altitude to protect their gas tanks.

Tails just chuckled, stood up, and took a deep breath. He pulled the trigger five times swinging the barrel in between each shot, five seconds and five choppers quite a scorecard. But Tails wasn't finished yet he slapped another clip in. The choppers were turned side ways and the men were rappelling down. Tails aimed at the tail rotor of the middle chopper and squeezed. The machine swung around throwing the rappelling men flying and slamming the cockpit into the nearest chopper.

The chopper tricks were done now the six remaining were flying away and their load was rushing the depot. Tails hunkered down for the pink mist part of the job, he took out the high explosives and slapped in some shredder rounds. He fired into the center of one of the soldier and laughed as his friends saw his shredded innards flying out his back, and ran for cover. Didn't do them much good though, once they got to cover knuckles dropped a couple mortar rounds into the two groups. Five minutes and it was already over.

"Nice job fly boy looks like you're worth your keep." said Knuckles over the radio.

"Think about that next time before you start calling me shrimp again." chuckled Tails.

"This is Zulu-286 we are coming in to dust off that fuel is the LZ clear?" said the tanker pilot over the crackling high altitude radio.

"Affirmative ETA on filling up." said Sonic.

"Ten minutes maybe less."

"Alright I'll have Knuckles meet you on the air strip."

"Roger that, Zulu out."

"OI, we got hostiles coming in fast and low!" yelled Tails.

"What?" yelled Sonic twisting around.

"We've got a Spook transport plane coming in." said Tails.

"Shit everyone in the warehouse, NOW! Zulu we have got Spooks inbound. I repeat Spooks inbound do not land!" yelled Sonic over the comm.

They all ran into the warehouse and into one of the MG nests. Spooks were the latest incarnation of Inquisition spec ops; kitted out with the most advance weapons and stealth technology a single spook could take out an entire squad before even being detected. The plane zoomed overhead and dozens of Spooks jumped out of the open cargo bay door. Shadow fired into the air hoping to take out as many as possible before they hit the ground. A handful turned to confetti the rest landed uneventfully.

Shadow slapped a belt of ammo into his steaming MG. Tails had slapped a thermal scope onto his rifle and was firing wildly in all directions. Every time he fired a new body appeared some were right outside the warehouses gates. By the looks of things the few dozen they had seen were just a distraction from the cloaked ones that were jumping out. Shadow saw dirt being kicked up and fired; three Spooks feel dead from his brief burst. Gunfire erupted from all over forcing them to remain in cover mostly.

"Rails just how may of these fuckers are their!" screamed Knuckles.

"There were at least a hundred before I started shooting!" shouted Tails struggling to be heard over the gunfire.

"What direction are they in mainly?" yelled Sonic.

"Pick one and there's probably a few." replied Tails poking his head up for a second to look.

"Fuck this I'm not dying like some pussy!" thundered Knuckles.

He jumped up and emptied his gun's two hundred round belt as he swung it along the battlefield. At least a dozen men slumped over with blood pouring from their numerous wounds. Shadow jumped up as Knuckles reloaded; when he ran out after killing a few Sonic took over and then Knuckles. Every once in a while Tails would pull the trigger and someone's head would explode. This plan could only last them for another minute before they were out of ammo.

"Last mag!" yelled out Knuckles.

"Same here!" replied Shadow.

"Here too, dammit we're going to die here!" shouted Sonic.

"No you're not this is Bravo-138 we are coming in fast and loud." crackled some pilot from above.

All of a sudden the courtyard in front of them was destroyed in dozens of explosions. Shadow looked out to see smoking craters and little else. He walked down to the courtyard and saw a spook dragging himself toward a pistol that lay discarded. The dying man's cloak kept flickering on and off; one second he was their dragging himself towards his last chance at success, the next he was nothing. Shadow pulled out his pistol and shot the man in the back of the head. He looked up and saw the massive fuel tanker coming in for a landing guarded by two fighter-bombers.

Shadow went back to the landing strip and saw that Tails had already hooked up the tanker to the fuel tanks and was leaning against the warehouse. Sonic was calling evac for them while spinning his pistol around casually. Knuckles was sitting on a milk crate using his MG as a prop for his hands and head. Shadow tossed his gun into the dirt and walked over to join Knuckles.

"Thought we were goners for a second their." whispered Knuckles.

"You okay?" asked Shadow concerned by Knuckles sudden change of mood.

"Yea, sometimes I just... you know." said Knuckles looking at him as if begging him to understand.

"Yea I think so." said Shadow quickly looking away.

"Oi you two lovebirds come on our ride here!" called Tails.

They both got up and walked over to the awaiting chopper. Knuckles stayed quiet the entire trip back. Shadow just chalked it up as shock after a near death experience; every soldier got it at least once. When they got back He just walked off to his quarters with a bottle of brandy. Shadow was tempted to follow him but he remembered when he first experienced shell shock and how he had just wished everyone had left him alone to sort everything out. Sonic came running over looking concerned for some reason.

"What is it?"

"The weapons factory we were planning on hitting tomorrow some how got tipped off, they've tripled their security." said Sonic hastily.

"So we just attack a different one." said Shadow nonchalantly.

"Don't you get it I don't give a damn about the factory. This means we have an information leak. We need to find the mole before they can tell The UF anything about our defenses." hissed Sonic looking around paranoid.

"Any idea who it is?"

"No but I've left them a trap, there's a file containing old intel on the location of Inquisition HQ and a false plan detailing saying were going to hit it tomorrow on my personal terminal." whispered Sonic "If they hack it their going to no doubt copy it and warn The Inquisition this will set off a virus that will not only corrupt all of their files but also tell me who it is. When that happens we need to find them and take them to interrogation ASAP."

"Alright radio me when the trap is sprung." said Shadow walking off to the bar, just as he was about to order a drink his radio beeped.

"It's the bartender." whispered Sonic into the comm.

Sadly he whispered a little too loudly and the bartender over heard. He jumped over the bar and started running. It was a pointless gesture considering one of the fastest things alive was sitting across the room. Shadow took him down hard grinding the man's face into the pavement. A blue streak appeared at the end of the hall as Sonic came running toward them.

"Let's take this pile of shit to one of the interrogation chambers." said Sonic picking him up by one of his arms.

"If you're going to torture me just do it here you fucking traitors!" screamed the writhing Mole.

"Alright. Sonic give me your stun gun." said Shadow.

The Mole's eyes grew in terror as Sonic tossed Shadow the tazer. Shadow buried the device in the Mole's gut and didn't turn it off until the batteries went dead. The Mole lie panting and jerking on the cold stone floor. He looked up to say something but Shadow didn't want to hear it he kicked the man in the face, flipping him onto his back. Sonic picked him up and slammed him up against the wall.

"Who is your contact with The Inquisition and where can we find him."

"I, I don't know I just gave the shit I found to my partner, She was the one with all of the contacts." cried the terrified Mole.

"Where is She?" yelled Shadow pulling out his pistol.

"She's a medic, Her name's Shiala. Please that's all I know." whimpered the Mole.

"Alright, your free to go." said Sonic dropping him.

"To hell." said Shadow shooting him between the eyes and splattering his brains over the wall.

"Tails ask the head matron if She knows about a medic named Shiala." said Sonic into the comm.

"Sure hold on a sec." replied Tails. "She says she's the medic currently in charge of Convel why?"

"Shit we gotta go, no time to explain." said Sonic running to the hangar.

They ran through the halls just a blue and black streak to everyone else. They knocked over dozens of people with their back draft, jumped over countless obstacles, and slid through openings in ruined walls. They got to the hangar and ran for Rouge's ship knocking over crates and people as they went. But as they entered the med bay it looked like they were too late as Shiala's hand fell to stab Convel in the chest.

Just as the knife was about o enter his sternum Convel grabbed Shiala's wrist. His blood shot eye's looked at her filled with rage as he crushed her wrist beneath his fingers. She looked at him in horror screaming in pain, crying with fear. Convel twisted her arm and forced her to the ground, he picked up her knife and slammed it up through her jaw and into her brain. She jerked and went limp immediately, she lie on the floor dead.

"Conv you feeling okay?" asked Sonic tentatively.

"Get a real nurse in here to up my sedatives will you?" He grunted leaning back.

"Sure thing good night."

"Oidhche mhath." He grumbled going to sleep.

"Holy shit did you see that?" whispered Sonic as they left the ship.

"Yea I'm not going to be able to eat for a while now." said Shadow.

"Hey guys did you find Shiala?" asked Tails wiping grease off his hands.

"No but Convel did." said Sonic.

"What?"

"Just send a nurse and a Janitor to the med bay in Rouge's ship." Said Shadow walking out of the hangar.

"Uh sure, oh god what did that bastard do. For god's sake he's comatose." murmured Tails.

* * *

**Chapter 6: Chapter 6**

* * *

"How's he doing?" asked Sonic standing outside of Rouges ship.

"There still keeping him in a coma for the next few days until they're sure but it looks like he's made a full recovery." said Shadow brushing off his bullet proof vest before he put it on.

"There's gonna be a lot of catching up to do." said Knuckles jumping up from an ammo crate.

"Yea but let's make it so we can start off with some really good news." said Tails joining them as they marched down the hall and tossing them each their helmets.

"Damn straight, you go to your jet the fly boys will need you." said Sonic shoving his helmet on.

"Right see you guys there." He called back as he ran back to the hangar.

The three of them continued down the corridor, picking weapons off of the pop out racks that sprang from the walls. Shadow put his helmet on and watched the relevant data on the assault scrolling across the screen interrupted by the occasional diagnostic of his new suit. The black armor was lined with all manor of sensors and emitters. Some refracted light around him making him invisible to all more than five feet away, insulators and coolants kept his heat signature at background levels, the boots were designed just to be as quiet as physically possible, and his torso was covered in medical sensors and med emitters to keep him alive. Sonic, Knuckles, and Tails wore them too with modifications here and there to fit their fighting style. Knuckles looked a bit like Predator with his blast shields slapped on his wrists.

When they stepped through the double doors at the end of the hall they were met by a flood of anxious conversations. All of the soldiers were clad in black armor with a red stripe going down their left side; their chests were all emblazoned with the ancient Mobian symbol for traitor. Over the past few months they had gone from a militia barely united by respect and a vague idea to an army unified in the unbreakable forge of war tempered by the blood and ideals of their lost comrades. The army below looked up and saluted to their three fearless generals; Sonic raised a hand to set them at ease for his speech.

"It has been a long road getting here." He said allowing his voice to echo across the room. "A long hard road paved with the blood of men. Much of that blood came form our own veins, so much in fact that there was a point that we nearly allowed ourselves to be broken. But rather than break and allow our enemies to put their lies in the history books, we stood strong and refused to give in. We said to them we will not die, we said to them we will not be subjected to your tyranny; we said we will not allow you to destroy our future! We have shown them over the past six months that you may infiltrate us, you may kill us, you may even attack what we hold most dear but we will not go away quietly! Now let us show them once more that we will not give in that we will not submit; let us take every ounce of pain they have given us and return it tenfold! Let us go to their home and strike the heart of the beast and leave it's corpse for all to see. So that they might see that we will come to you and we will not just hurt you, we will not just kill you, but that we will destroy you!"

Sonic raised his fist and screamed as loud as he could. The men soon followed pumping their fists and screaming so loud that the rafters shook. Shadow jumped into the crowd and marched to the choppers that hovered waiting to take the bloodthirsty pack to its newest hunting ground. All of the cheering soldiers followed; their foot fall like a resilient heartbeat that refused to stop. All of the men that is except for a select few.

50 men all who refused to wear the uniform. 50 men who saluted none of the generals. 50 men armed with only swords, knives, and their fists. These were Convel's men who refused to fight without their true commanders orders. They weren't loyal to the cause or the people who supported it; they were loyal to one man, Convel.

Sonic had long ago given up trying to get their support. After trying to bribe them with promotions, seats of power after the war, and cold hard cash he had decided symbolism was the best way to get them. But even having the blood stripe symbolizing Convel's injury and naming a patch of land they controlled Clamand didn't work. They didn't give a fuck about material bribes or symbols they had made a loyalty vow to Convel and would march for no other. Sonic just walked past them, shaking his head, to the chopper.

Then just as his foot was on the landing rail of the chopper he heard a commotion that made him turn around. Convel was standing on the safety rail of the catwalk that Sonic had delivered his speech on, howling. The nurses and medics were trying to get him to get down so they could pull the many needles and sensors out of and off of him. Rouge just leaned against the doorway laughing at her husband's antics. Sonic ran back into the hangar and waved at him to shut up. Convel saw him, smiled, and jumped down.

"What the fuck is up" He said hugging Him with one arm and removing all the sensors and needles with the other.

"Not much just about to go on what's probably the most dangerous and epic mission of the war." said Sonic stepping back to tack a look at Convel.

He had changed as much as the world had over the past six months. His fur had gone from salt and pepper to silver as a side effect from the rapid aging caused by the muscle regeneration drugs. One of his eyes no longer had a white; the blood vessel had popped and caused the whites to turn red. He could still see fine thanks to a cocktail of drugs and an implant in his retina but it made him look a bit demonic. And of course one of his ears was missing a tip while the other had a bullet hole.

"And you thought you were going to leave me in a coma while that was going on, the fuck mate!" He said pulling on some combat boots.

"Sorry wanted to make sure you were alright, c'mon you need to get in a suit." said Sonic walking toward the armory.

"Like yours sorry mate but you know my Clamort only vow." he said stubbornly.

"Convel you will wear that fucking suit and look damn good in it or I will fucking kill you!" screamed Rouge as she flew down to meet them.

"Alright for fucks sake." Sighed Convel whipped.

"Looks like it's true what they say, the only one who can stop a killing machine is its wife. "chuckled Sonic.

"Love you." said Rouge blowing Convel a kiss as they walked off.

"Love you too." said Convel shaking his head.

"Whipped."

"Shut up, so is my suit gonna be just like yours?" asked Convel ducking under a support beam.

"Not exactly Tails made yours to better suit your fighting style." said Sonic punching in the code for the armory. "Mine's focused on being light to keep my speed up and stealth so I can get behind enemy lines easier. Yours has thicker shaped plates to dissipate and absorb damage better, motorized joints to amplify your already considerable strength, and more extensive medical systems than ours cause you'll be encountering more brutal fighting."

"So everyone has got one of these things?" asked Convel slipping the complex carbon fiber weave on.

"Just the four generals each one is different but based on the same basic design, yours is the only one without any form of stealth system for instance." said Sonic handing Convel the external plating.

"Groovy." He said slapping his blades onto the powerful magnetic strips that replaced his scabbards. "Why's my symbol different than yours?"

"Oh mine says the same thing as yours just mine's in ancient Mobian instead of Clamish." replied Sonic holding out Convel's helmet.

"No thanks mate I think I'll be like my ancestors and not wear a helmet."

"Suit yourself let's go."

Convel stomped proudly through the halls towards the hangar. His men who had seen him stood armed and ready to go off and kill something now that Convel was up and running. He raised his fist high into the air, his personal preference to saluting. When pressed on the subject he said he just didn't like saluting because it implied that someone was better than him. His men returned the gesture and fell in tow behind him filling in the empty choppers.

"Look who finally decided to stop hitting the snooze button." said Shadow lifting Convel into their hovering chopper.

"Nice to see you too, so this is the generals chopper eh. Thought it'd be bigger." said Convel sitting next to Knuckles.

"First class all the way, we even get doors that slide shut." said Shadow closing the side doors behind Sonic.

"Sweet we get a packet of peanuts too?" said Convel raising an eyebrow.

"No Knuckles ate em all to soak up your gin." said Sonic sitting down on the bench across from Convel.

Convel turned and elbowed Knuckles in the ribs sharply. Knuckles let out a yelp of pain rubbing his side gingerly. Sonic and Shadow let out laughing uncontrollable at the comedic scuffle the two of them had after this. But the laughter died down and they sat back down. It was good to break the tension before battle but it never lasted after a few minutes the somber mood was back. After a few hours the pilot told them to give him the signal when they wanted to jump so he could slow up.

Sonic slid open one of the doors and looked down on the base below. It was The Inquisitions newest instillation and inside was thousands of Inquisitors. Tails had already lead several bombing runs that had reduced much of the complex to rubble. The tunnel system by now would be crowded as Inquisitors and Black Guard ran to the freshly dug trenches. As they flew in faster and losing altitude the machine guns began to roar to life spraying tracers all over the sky trying in vain to shoot down one of the dozens of enemy choppers.

Shadow banged on the side of the chopper and the pilot slowed to a stop. Sonic and Shadow jumped out onto the ground and waved the pilot to dust off. Knuckles was to be left further ahead with the heavy infantry to soften up the defenses. And hopefully make it so that the light infantry led by the two of them could sweep the rest of the opposition under the rug. Convel would actually be taken behind enemy lines if possible and undermine them there, it would be made even riskier because he was going in lone wolf.

As they walked forward firing into the occasional group of Black Guard soldiers that went ahead of everyone else, the rest their men began t land. Dozens of soldiers flocked to their generals taking cover and firing at any enemy soldier they saw. The procession was relatively slow, the further into the compound they got the more blackguard abandoned going to the trenches and went straight to the makeshift barriers. Shadow activated his stealth unit and felt a chill as the coolant circulated throughout the suit. He seemed to dissolve slowly as each of the optical cells in his suit activated one by one.

After three minutes he was invisible except the faint distortion of space he left behind. He ran unopposed behind his enemy's trenches. He had to be quick with his little sabotage because the stealth system was still just a prototype and optical invisibility could only last for five minutes. He dropped grenades, slit throats, snapped necks, destroyed cover, and fired into the backs of at least a dozen enemy positions. When he slowly pinpricked back into existence Sonic did exactly as he had just done.

The cool down for their optical stealth units was eight minutes so they had to wait a little before they could resume their invisible destruction. The tactic wasn't perfect as they were exposed for a while they began to fade away or reappear but it was much better than conventional trench warfare. After alternating ten times they were at the rear flank of the heavy infantry. Behind them lie the corpses of a thousand Black Guard and Inquisitors. Half of which didn't see what killed them.

Sonic and Shadow went up into the front of the heavy infantry's line where they saw the two sides of the battle engaged in an intense firefight. Knuckles and Convel were back to back ahead of everyone killing anyone who tried to get near them. For a moment as the fresh light infantry mingled with the heavy infantry The Inquisition forces began to buckle and fell back several trenches. However after this brief retreat they were emboldened by the influx of more Inquisitors.

Convel seemed to say fuck and charged into the enemy's lines cutting dozens of men down before they even realized what was happening. Inevitably though He was blown back by an exploding land mine, the mine killed several Black Guard but gave them a chance to solidify their position against them. Convel got up slowly surprised at how well the suit had taken the landmine, finally however he ran back to where Sonic, Shadow, and Knuckles now stood ready for a stalemate.

Any chance of a temporary impasse however was taken away when Tails and several other fighters strafed the enemy blockade reducing it to bodies and splinters. They charged forward on the remains of their enemy taking three more rows of trench before finally being forced to stop. One building remained and it was filled with machine gun, mortar, and artillery positions that were raining hate down on them. On top of this a few jets were now in the air and strafing the massive mob of soldiers that followed behind the four of them.

The losses to get to this point were large but not as severe as they had been in previous battles, relatively mild really. Now though every second a few men fell to explosions or bullets; they needed to break through soon. But AA fire kept Tails from even thinking of doing another pass and when Knuckles peek up to see if their was a weak spot he was thrown back as a bullet clipped his helmet. Sonic sat down on his knee to try and think of a way to break through, if only they had brought the chaos emeralds he kept thinking. A jet was coming in for a strafe, it was clear that his path was going to hurt them badly everyone scattered and ducked.

"I'm going up!" yelled Convel drawing his two daggers and running forward.

He used Knuckles who was crouching as a springboard and leaped high into the air. He ended up landing on the top of the jet as it flew overhead; he rolled and sunk his blades into the jets body. He slowly came to a halt just barely out of the jet's after burn. He sank each of his blades into the body again and again as he climbed up to the cockpit. The pilot realized what he was doing and did a barrel roll and loop in hopes of throwing him off. But Convel held on tight continuing his climb when the plane righted.

He clambered to the canopy and stood up right. He began to pound his fists on the canopy causing it to spider web. The pilot began to freak out; shocked that anyone could even damage the bulletproof glass with their bare hands. The pilot tried to pull out his pistol just as the canopy shattered into a thousand pieces. The hammer of the pistol caught on the pilots harness and knocked the weapon out of the pilot's hands. Convel grabbed the whimpering man and threw him out of the jet.

As Convel began to lower himself into the open cockpit so he could steer the plane into the building and eject just before impact the plane fishtailed. The violent whipping sent Convel flying into a massive oil storage tank that had been ripped open at the top by a crashing choppers blade. The plane still ended up flying into the build doing just as Convel intended and creating an opening for everyone. Convel sank to the bottom of the tank with nothing but an emergency flare and a knife.

Convel swam to the side of the tank and felt for the rivets on the side. He shoved his knife into the first one he found causing it to move forward slightly. He then swam back a little and kicked the hilt, sending the rivet flying out. He did this ten more times each tome taking precious air. Finally he found the last rivet on the panel and slammed his now dull knife into it. He kicked it but he was weak from lack of oxygen and it didn't move much. He kicked again and again but it barley moved.

Finally in desperation he kicked as hard as he could. The panel gave away and he along with all of the oil poured out onto the ground. He gasped for air panting away the black that had began to cover his vision. He stood up still panting and wiped oil off of His face. He heard the click of a dozen guns being locked and loaded, He was surrounded by dozens of Black Guard.

"Well Shit." He panted.

He grabbed the emergency flare from its holster and raised his hands. The Black Guard soldiers approached him tentatively with their guns shouldered. When they were all standing in and somewhat covered by the oil He acted with lightning speed. He flipped the cover off of the flare and lit it. He dropped it into the oil igniting him and all of the soldiers. Convel ran off towards a near by pond as fast as he could before the fire on his suit reached his face, he could feel the heat emanating from his inflamed body.

He jumped into the pond extinguishing the hell he had set upon himself. When he returned to the surface the Black Guard soldiers he had set on fire were running around spreading even more chaos in the battlefield. His men along with the others were inside the compound now killing their way through the compound not stopping until every single Inquisitor and Black Guard was dead. Convel laughed to himself, this was going to be fun.

* * *

**Chapter 7: Chapter 7**

* * *

Convel stepped out of the pond. The black Guard was pulling back now, bullets streaked through the air as men fired behind their backs. A squad fell to a burst of fire from a few rebel soldiers who walked laughing at how well it was going. Men tossed grenades in the air and cheered when they exploded snuffing out the life of a dozen men. Choppers with mini-guns orbited the battlefield killing any Black Guard they could hit.

A Black Guard tripped and fell as he ran from a group of Knuckles men who were decimating the stragglers. The man twisted around and emptied his AR into his pursuers. One of the men didn't die but fell to the ground, the wounded man pulled out his pistol and shot the soldier five times in the chest. The Black Guard fell back and coughed up blood.

The dying soldier saw Convel standing there and began crawling toward a clip that lie near by. His hand fell on the clip but the man was to weak from blood loss to drag his rifle, let alone load and fire it. Convel walked up to the man, crouched down, and smirked. The man moved his jaw trying to speak but he couldn't summon the power to do so. The man's eyes went dark and became still, his jaw became slack, his arms twitched awkwardly as he reached for Convel's throat, and finally the man's arm became rigid as his head fell to the ground.

Convel stepped on the dead man as he walked to the building that was lit up with machine gun fire. He looked on the ground to see if maybe he had dropped any of his weapons had fallen nearby. He didn't have to look hard, a groaning Black Guard lie on one of the trench mounds Convel's claymore pinned him to the earth. Convel grabbed the hilt of the blade and twisted, the man screamed out in pain before dying. Convel drew his blade from the corpse and moved on into the building.

* * *

Shadow kicked in the steel door in front of him. It reveled a small room, inside sat huddled in a corner three Inquisition workers. They were unarmed bureaucrats who never thought they would hear a gun shot outside of the firing range; never feel the sledgehammer of pain followed by a nirvana of natural pain killers and adrenaline as a bullet pierced your skin. Shadow made sure they felt it plus the terrible agony of realizing that you weren't surviving this battle and that you didn't have enough adrenaline in your system to have any pain killing affects.

He turned and continued his room clearing the majority of the Black Guard and Inquisitors posted at the base were holed up in the hangar. Knuckles was leading an assault force of over half of the remaining troops, some 200,000 men and women to kill everyone in there. Meanwhile Sonic and He were handling the vast array of subterranean tunnels beneath the complex. Resistance was light for now but as they got deeper into the place the tougher it got to take even an inch. Shadow had lost his best squad in the first five minutes to some asshole with a machine gun hiding in the shadows.

Sonic went up against the wall on their right and inched his way to the corner. He peeked just long enough for a stream of bullets erupt form the end of the adjoining corridor. Sonic tossed a cricket, a small blasting charge that would distract the gunman more than anything. As the guard looked at the small scorch on the wall Shadow popped out from the corner and sent five rounds into the man's temple. Sonic proceeded crouched with his rifle aimed squarely in front of him.

They came to a staircase that led into a very open area. At the ends of this new chamber were two catwalks covered in shadows. A classic sniper funnel it would be suicide to move in. there stealth systems were dead completely now so they were visible on any scanner even the naked eye. Lucky for them though even Fang himself couldn't get them in his sights and put the appropriate lead on them before they got out of the firing zone.

They both took a few steps back had a few deep breaths and ran forward as fast as they could. To the world around them they were nothing but blurs that disappeared so quick that you thought your eyes were just playing tricks on you. To them though everything slowed down seconds became hours, to take a breath was a day's work, even a bullet flying out of the barrel of their guns seemed to crawl. After half a second they were on the other side of the room and six snipers were dead from headshots.

They continued down the hallway system clearing every room they saw with a quick three round burst for everything they saw breathing. After ten more minutes of this they were at what seemed to be the final level of the complex. The lights flickered with every explosion above as Knuckles finished up, the doors were thick and locked from the outside, and when they got to the end of these new halls of what seemed to be cells there was a massive door covered with runes. This room wasn't just sealed with steel and iron, but with the very power of the gods.

A shot rang out and Shadow felt a thud in the small of his back. He took a few steps forward before turning around. A lone guard stood with a revolver shaking in his hand. He fired four more times, twice at each of them. Sonic finally got annoyed and leveled his gun at the man, but it was too late. The man seeing he had failed turned his gun on himself and fired. Shadow shook his head with disgust and turned back to the strange door.

"Oi anyone down here?" shouted Convel his voice echoing through the empty halls.

"Yea we're over here. That you Conv?" said Sonic surprised that he had survived jumping on a jet that soon after crashed.

"Aye, I had a lot of fun cleaning up the fuckers who you left hiding in the shadows." He said as he turned the corner walking intentionally on the body of the suicidal guard.

"I guess we can't all be as thorough as a murderous sociopath." said Shadow shrugging.

"I guess not so what the deal with this door do you know?"

"We don't know, so far as I can tell it contains a prisoner the felt dangerous enough to seal in supernaturally on top of a three tons of steel." said Sonic.

"Let's crack it open then." said Convel looking for some sort of lever or latch.

"Hold on a sec for all we know they were keeping an augmented being in there." said Shadow grabbing Convel's wrist.

"If they were then it'd be dead or dying because of the demonic corruption." replied Convel jerking his arm free.

"Even if it's dying it could still kill us." said Sonic stepping in front of Convel.

"Look, you just saw me take down a jet with a couple of knives and my bare hands and you two have guns. Last time I checked even demons die when shot so lets get to it." Convel said picking Sonic up and setting him down behind him.

Before further argument could be made Convel shoved his claymore in the small crack between the doors and used it as a pry bar. The locks creaked in protest as they began to buckle and snap out of their place. The security system sent a massive current through the door in a vain attempt to kill Convel, who only felt a tingling sensation as his suit dissipated the charge. Finally steel bars tried to close the gap between the doors but they were nothing more than a nuisance to Convel who with one last mighty shove flipped the doors open.

Inside there was nothing but blackness. Shadow switched to night vision and surveyed the cell, but nothing was there. Convel grabbed an emergency flare out of a first aid kit at the end of the hall and threw it into the cell. The shadow seemed unnatural as it attempted to flee the light. Convel threw a rock at the shadow and again it recoiled. Shadow took a few steps back it was clear to him, and Sonic who was quickly retreating that their was a darkness in that place. But Convel just laughed at them and entered the cell.

"Show yourself I wont hurt you." He barked to the room.

Then all of the shadow coalesced into a dark shadow figure, which slowly seemed to change. The shadow figure became a small scrawny boy whose ribs showed. The fox before them was little more than a living skeleton and it was clear that even standing was draining him immensely. But the proud boy walked toward Convel each step shakier than the last. Convel set a surprisingly gentle hand on him to stabilize him.

The boy looked at each of them right in the eyes. Which was odd because the milky white color of his eyes showed that the boy was completely blind. The boy seemed as if he was about to speak when a commotion in the neighboring halls scared him into silence. Knuckles and Tails appeared around the corner saw the scene before them and looked at Sonic to explain what the hell was going on. They boy took a moment to look at Knuckles and Tails before starting his statement again.

"Thank you for allowing my last moments to be free ones." He said in a quiet raspy voice.

"You're welcome, why were you imprisoned?" said Convel catching the boy before he fell.

"Because of my success." He said simply as if they should know what it meant.

"What do you mean by your success?" piped in Tails.

"I was part of a secret involuntary process to create a lasting vessel for demonic augmentation." He responded looking Tails in the eyes creepily.

"So wait your augmented?" asked Knuckles aiming his pistol between the boy's eyes.

"Yes successfully except they tried to augment me a little too much speeding up the corrosion of some of my senses but enabling me to double the life expectancy of an augmented being. Please put your gun away I will not harm my saviors."

"So if you're a success why lock you up in such high security?" asked Sonic.

"There is a price to be paid, if any adrenaline hits my blood stream I lose control to the demonic force that inhabits my body."

"So are there others like you?" asked Convel setting the boy down on the ground so he could rest.

"The cells were once filled with test subjects. I imagine those that were still alive were liquidized once you began your attack, as I would have been if I had not been able to change into a shadow form. But I did see others like you." He said looking up at Convel.

"What do you mean, other Clamorts?" asked Convel excited by the prospect that some of his people may still be alive, that he may not be the last.

"No your ancient species will die with your bloodline. Others with your aura. I suppose you might call them synthetic Clamorts."

"Synthetic Clamorts, that project was scrapped when GUN deemed that the required cybernetics would cause a 100% mortality rate." said Tails.

"What the hell do you mean that project was scrapped!" yelled Convel.

"GUN didn't want to deal with the negatives of having a Clamish force. Your people aren't developed culturally in a way that makes you feasible in any situation that requires a soft touch. You were quite simply too crude of a people to be used on the modern battlefield." said Tails as if this was a conclusion anyone would come to after a few moments thought.

"So what you try and create synthetic versions of us, cyborgs that had our strength and durability?" Convel shouted enraged at what he was hearing.

"That was the intended affect yes. But as I said in order to get results anywhere near your peoples average strength required such extensive implantation that the body would be unable to cope and die. Your people were a genetic enigma that only nature could create." replied Tails as if it made everything better.

"I can't believe what I'm hearing, I'll be at the evac point if you need me." He said storming off knocking over Tails on his way out.

"We should leave know reinforcements are no doubt on their way.' said Knuckles following Convel.

"What about the boy can we get him out of here?" asked Sonic.

"Do not bother I will be dead within the next ten minutes my body is failing from the augmentation, at last."

"Very well is there anything we can do to make you more comfortable?" asked Shadow.

"Just give me a moment to speak with your leader, you and the fox can leave." He said feebly coughing up blood on the ground.

Shadow and Tails nodded and left. Sonic waited until he knew they were gone before approaching the dying boy. He knelt down to the boys level and held out his canteen to him. The boy refused and instead grabbed Sonic's pistol, which he laid next to him.

"Prepare yourself. My augmentation allows me to see despite my blindness and I can see things that would bring most to their knees. Just remember those who forsake will always return eventually." He said before picking up the pistol and ending himself.

Sonic wiped the splattered brains off his visor before standing up. Back above the subterranean prison and augmentation facility the battle was over. Smoke rose from the remains of the majority of the complex, the sound of extraction choppers filled the air permeated by the excited shouts of men and the shot of the executioner's rifle. Convel and his men stood around all speaking in Convel's native tongue so no one could understand them. This on top of what Tails and the augmented fox's words mad Sonic uneasy. He couldn't help but suspect that Convel might be plotting at this very moment on attempting to divide the men and leave with all those who supported him.

Convel looked at him in the eyes from across the field. His piercing blue eyes seemed to be burrowing into Sonic's very mind as if just by looking at him he was waging war. Sonic shook himself and continued walking to the extraction chopper trying to forget the words that were ringing in his ears. They couldn't afford a division not this late in the game surely Convel knew that. Surely the very one who started this war really wouldn't be willing to watch it all burn over a starving boy's words, right?

* * *

**Chapter 8: Chapter 8**

* * *

"I fear that my position may have changed in our little rebellion." Convel said to his troops staring down Sonic as he entered a chopper. "It seems that a lot has happened while I was out. And your refusal to fight while I was out while admirable may have cost us. I don't trust my fellow generals anymore and if I wish to leave know we wouldn't have enough support to be an effective military presence against the UF."

"So what do we do?" asked Skye the oldest of Convel's men and perhaps the best strategist among them.

"We need to gain support obviously and I know just how to do it. We aren't going back to Angel Island, not yet. First we raid a food and medical storage facility, bringing back those provisions should win us some favor."

Everyone nodded and went to the choppers with Convel's orders for the pilots. Convel stood up and followed Skye and his three best men Armitage, Artair, and Kessan. All of them were coyote's as the only wolf Mobius had ever seen were Clamorts Convel had decided to get the next best thing for his task force. Skye was old and his fur fast tuning white he had a bit of a limp but Convel had never seen anyone throw a knife like him. Armitage was young and energetic, he liked explosions a little too much but Convel needed an explosives expert and he was unmatched. Artair was quite perhaps a little to quiet, he didn't like direct combat he was shifty eyed and jumpy. The best choice for a stealth expert though.

And then there was Kessan. Kessan was the only female member of Convel's brigade and everyone knew she had her eyes on the prize. The prize was of course Convel himself. She was an infamous flirt and earned the nickname and call sign home wrecker from the men after intentionally spilling a drink on herself when Convel and Rouge walked by. Despite her antics she was still smart and knew her way around computers well enough to earn a spot in Convel's fire squad.

Convel sat next to Skye and took a quick nap as they took off and flew to their target. His dreams were always swirling vortexes of confusion. But this time it was different, he was standing in a snowy field and Knuckles stood ahead of him. Convel went up to talk to knuckles and suddenly he felt a sharp pain in his gut. He looked down and saw a bullet hole in it, he looked back up and Knuckles shot him in the face. Despite dying the dream continued as Knuckles continued to pump lead into him.

Convel sprung forward awake sweating. Everyone in the chopper looked at him strangely concerned that the time in the ICU might have left him scarred mentally. Convel shook himself, leaned back, and tried to forget the haunting dream but it would go away. Convel chalked it up to being exposed to someone heavily augmented by demonic forces for more than a few minutes. That must have been it lingering demonic energies were fucking with him.

Below was a massive warehouse filled with supplies. Convel's men were already getting in position for a loud breach. It looked like there was minimal security only maybe thirty guards per building, mostly hired guns by the look of it. Armitage slid open the side door and did a back flip out onto the warehouse roof. Skye growled annoyed and followed Armitage. The chopper relocated to the next warehouse building and stopped to let Kessan and Artair out. Finally it flew to the third and final building to drop Him.

Inside the building shipping containers were stacked high filled with food and medical supplies. Convel walked along the aisles to see if any guards were hiding but there seemed to be none around. He guessed it must have been because of the chaos his men were causing and went outside to pop a smoke call in a cargo plane to extract all of his loot. Just as he pulled the pin something tackled him from behind. The creature pinned him to the ground with ungodly strength and swiped at him.

Convel was just barely able to roll out from under the beast and turned to face it. It wasn't natural, it had motors, wires, an actuators sticking from its body at all sorts of odd angles. The beasts eyes were laced with cybernetics, even its head had machines sticking out of it. This must have been the synthetic Clamort that the boy spoke of. Convel smiled and drew his claymore; no imitation could stand up to a true Clamort. He charged and slid between it's legs slicing as he went. He turned expecting victory but the creation dragged itself towards him jaws snapping.

Convel hesitated amazed at the creations ferocity but regained himself and stomped on its head. Still the creature didn't die, it grabbed his leg and pulled him to the earth. Convel got kicked the beasts exposed motors on its shoulder hard causing it's arms to seize up. He sighed relieved that the crude imitation was dead but then he heard the all too familiar beeping of a bomb. He ran back into the warehouse as the creation blew itself up.

Synthetic Clamorts huh, they weren't that powerful in a fight with an intelligent and experienced enemy. It seemed they would be more effective when ambushing or attacking in mass waves ahead of the rest of the force. Which as Convel thought about it was the ob the real Clamorts had been given in previous wars. Artair appeared out of the shadows behind him ulaks drawn. When he saw that Convel was unhurt and in no danger he sheathed his lethal blades and activated the beacon he held to signal a cargo plane.

Convel walked back outside to see one of the cargo planes touch down and the loader walk out surprised at the haul. As he entered his evac chopper he smiled. This would win them at least some whispers of support amongst the people. If he hit a few more military targets on his own they would no doubt gladly follow him.

* * *

Back at Angel Island Shadow jumped out of his chopper to a happy surprise, hundreds of echidnas walked around in armor. The nocturne had arrived. Knuckles and a group of nocturne came up to shake his and Sonic's hands.

"Shadow, Sonic. This is chief Xenakis, his war adviser Brasidas, and his top shaman Gaius. They're here to help." said Knuckles as they each shook hands.

"I'm eager to get started at reestablishing a Nocturne Empire here on Mobius." said Xenakis he was old and gray but it was clear from his handshake and words that his frailty was a hoax.

"Excuse me we're not taking down one tyrannical government just to install another. The people will be free to chose their government and leaders." said Sonic.

"Ah so you are more intelligent than you look, I always wondered what it would be like to establish a false republic. I here they're quite successful as long as the people think they're choosing their leaders and are free." replied Xenakis nodding thoughtfully.

"Anyway I was wondering if there was a place for our men to rest up before the next battle travel through the cage has left them drained." intervened Brasidas not seeing an end to it any time soon.

"Yes there is, up by the tree line your men should be able to build comfortable homes with the supplies Shadow here can give you." replied Sonic moving on like an expert politician.

"Good, tell me who's that your people seem to be greeting like a god?" asked Gaius pointing in the direction of the airstrip.

"That would be another one of our generals, Convel." said Sonic worriedly.

Sure enough civilians and soldiers alike were lifting him up on their shoulders. Sonic realized the cause for celebration when he saw the cargo planes that had landed behind him unloading tons of food and medical supplies. This made Sonic even uneasier, while the supplies would no doubt help why would Convel get the supplies by himself. Perhaps it was time Sonic started to keep an eye on their volatile ally.

"The politics of war are ever present. It seems your friend is getting ready to make a power grab." said Xenakis voicing Sonic's thoughts.

"Regardless we need to focus on winning this war as quick as possible." said Shadow.

"I agree which is why we need to change your tactics." said Brasidas. "I understand that for your larger battles you've taken almost your entire army into battle leaving only a small inexperienced security task group behind. You need to understand that risking so many assets is unwise, what if your were to lose that battle after all. Also no more of this generals leading the charge. While it is often a morale booster to have one or two CO's on the field perhaps even in the fray you can't risk your top level of management. So from now on Sonic you shall remain behind with us and give your orders from a safe distance."

"With all due respect sir I've always led by example and couldn't live with myself if I didn't fight alongside my men. As for your other suggestions we didn't have the man power to have another strategy until you arrived. Now I feel confident in saying that we can fight a much smarter war."

"Enough with this little diplomatic dance let's go rest, tomorrow we will hit several military targets simultaneously and hopefully cripple the enemies infrastructure to a point where urban warfare will take over from our hit and run guerrilla warfare." said Knuckles pouring them each a shot of brandy.

Unfortunately that dream would never come true. For as soon as the last dregs of liquor went down their throats the entire island shook. Rockets impacted all over taking off large chunks of the island and killing dozens. When the hell storm stopped the shit storm began. EATTs landed nearby and Black Guard soldiers poured out like a virus. Shadow pulled out his pistol and started firing like mad.

They tried to rally the troops but there was just too many for them to respond quickly enough. The Nocturne were luckily enough always in their armor and their weapons were built in so they were able to stem the flow. But under the shelling and shear number of enemy troops they would break if they didn't get reinforcements. The makeshift automated defenses roared to life at last adding more time to regroup. Sonic took every soldier he could and fell in line with the Nocturne who held like the best.

Convel let out a howl as he charged in with his men behind him. Shadow saluted him as he jumped over the trenches and ran fearlessly into the blazing gunfire. He and his men ran like lightning bobbing and weaving until they finally met the newly established enemy line. Convel ran his claymore through the center of the nearest machine gunner and pulled took the dead man's combat knife.

Convel dropped down into a combat stance as his men caught up and started to unleash their own hell. Convel went back to back with Artair slicing and stabbing their way through the enemy lines. Artair's ulaks were like blurs as they moved quickly and silently filleting anyone who came within arms length. Convel threw the combat knife at a fleeing soldier and then snapped the neck of one who crawled next to him. With that he let out a roar of triumph the enemy was broken and fleeing.

Sonic and Shadow's men had continued to push forward on all of the other sides bolstered by Convel's bravery and the enemy was already in retreat. Convel knew it would have been possible without the Nocturne but his charge would no doubt make him even more popular with the common soldier and his family. Convel retrieved his claymore and got out of the trench to see Shadow mowing down the last with a machine gun. Convel looked off at sky and saw what everyone else would soon feel.

A giant mushroom cloud erupted on the edge of the island just outside of AA gun range. The trees were all at first sucked towards the blast just like everything else, but this was inevitably fallowed by the hellish blast wave. Rubble, crates, and even entire planes flew at them riding the concussion wave. The ground shook to pieces as a second and third bomb were dropped. Convel felt the immense heat on his face as he was thrown across the rapidly disintegrating island.

When he began falling there was no ground below to catch him the island was gone. He saw countless other men falling no doubt to their deaths. Convel blinked and looked down at the earth that would soon be his killer and grave. Convel sighed wishing that his last moments hadn't been in battle for once. For once he desired something other than war he wanted a life after death and destruction. He just wanted to grow old with her and raise a kid; he just wanted to be a dad and granddad.

Just as he wished for it more than anything he saw a gift from the gods that would give him his wish a parachute tumbled nearby. He grabbed it as fast as he could and put it on, pulling the chord immediately. He was jerked upright and cracked a massive smile as he fell slowly to ground. His smile was wiped from his face as soon as he hit the ground. Countless soldiers lay dead from the explosions and fall. Even worse was the sound of the moaning of those who had lived but were beyond help. Some how Sonic, Shadow, Tails, and the Nocturne elder had survived and were congregating.

As Convel walked to their podium he saw that most of his men were dead. Kessan was a crumpled heap her head turned too far around so that he could see her wide eyes and back. Armitage had blown himself up just before he hit the ground taking out one of the Inquisition bombers. Skye crawled towards him still faithful to the cause but the old vets heart wasn't as strong as his will and as Convel grabbed his hand in brotherhood he died. Convel searched frantically to see if anyone had survived, anyone from his old corps he couldn't be the last. Not again.

Artair dutifully emerged from the rubble his ulaks still drawn. Convel ran over to the stumbling warrior. Artair smiled and blood trickled from his mouth, he was dead his brain just hadn't caught on. Convel grabbed him by the shoulders and looked for something anything that could save his dying friend and brother. HE had seen Fang die like this he wasn't going to let Artair join him.

"Clamand gu brath." He whispered to Convel just before falling limp in his hands.

A Clamort to the last thought Convel. He lowered Artair to the ground and looked around. He didn't care what the fuck Sonic and the rest were doing; he just needed to know she was all right. He ran around flipping over every bit of rubble, every twisted scrap metal, and calling out to her. Finally he had searched the entire landing site, she was gone. He fell to his knees shell shocked for the first time since he was too young to even hold his claymore.

His sadness turned to desperation, desperation to false hope, and false hope into shear white-hot rage. He got up and stormed to Sonic, he needed someone to blame for this and the fucker who dropped the bomb was beyond his reach. He convinced himself that it was Sonic's fault for not better preparing their defenses for not making an emergency plan. Convel picked the ulaks off of Artair's body and continued fully intending on avenging all of them right then and there. Just as he was about to jump Sonic the only thing that could stop him did.

"Convel!" shouted Rouge flying over the battlefield.

Convel turned dropping his weapons to the ground with a clatter. Sure enough she had somehow survived. In an instant his rage was gone he ran waving his arms trying to get her attention. Shadow and Knuckles looked away from their meeting smiling at their friend's ludicrous joy. If nothing else they were a good distraction from the grim truth they had to accept, the war was virtually over. Only 1,000 Nocturne and maybe 2,500 soldiers remained. Nevertheless they had to figure out a way to recover and continue.

As the soldiers cued at the bottom of the rubble hill they swallowed their emotions and got down to planning their counter strategy. The war they had been fighting was over now there was no chance at fighting that large of battles now. The chaos emeralds had been scattered and so far they had only recovered three. All of the tactics Sonic knew said they should run hide and wait until they were back to strength to continue. But no one would be willing to wait after what just happened.

"I know it may not be the most popular strategy but it's the best we need to bide our time and strike when best able." said Sonic.

"And lose all that we've gained, please lets make it so that these men have died in vain." replied Shadow scathingly.

"If we're all killed in the god damn revolution they will have died in vain anyway!" hissed Sonic.

"We need to figure out a way that gives a fighting chance while continuing to hurt our enemy." said Knuckles pensively.

"Look lets compromise we go out into the wilderness we attack military target that are relatively isolated, this will keep them hopefully drawn out and weak. If were lucky their mode of constant war will get the civilians angry enough with their government that they'd be willing to join us. That's the best I can come up with." said Sonic.

"Agreed." chorused everyone else on the hill and the soldiers who had overheard the conversation.

"Bull shit!" shouted Convel coming up to the front.

"What?" said Sonic in the shock of everything he had forgotten to be weary of Convel.

"Your plan is fucking bull shit." He said stepping up onto the hill. "Men listen to me Sonic plan will get you all killed as will every plan they've come up with. What's worse is your deaths will be in vain and thus so will every man's who died in this war. We don't need to run we need to attack. I don't mean these mass assaults like we've been doing wee need to go into their cities and be the greatest plague they've ever seen. We need to fight an urban guerrilla war so that all of those civilians in their cozy homes will finally see what the fuck we've been seeing... The choice is simple you want to die in vain go with Sonic; if you want your death to mean something maybe even to win come with me."

Sonic couldn't believe what he had just heard. Even more he couldn't believe that nearly half of his soldiers followed Convel as he walked off. The Nocturne however remained still it seemed Xenakis preferred Sonic still. It took everything he had to not pull out his pistol and shoot Convel in the back of the head.

"So where we going Hun?" asked Rouge as She caught up with Convel.

"You're not going anywhere." He said simply.

"Excuse me?" She said raising an eyebrow.

"You heard me go hide somewhere."

"I may not be as strong as you but I'm not abandoning this war just because of a few close scrapes."

"Listen to me!" He screamed shaking as he struggled to hold back tears. I love you too god damn much to see you die so you will go somewhere far away from this fucking war and wont leave until it's over."

She put a hand on his arm trying to comfort him but he just shrugged it off.

"I love, I will always love you, but I need you to stop loving me." He said taking his wedding ring off and tossing it to the ground.

Rouge stood just as stunned as Sonic. The war and their lives outside of it had just changed dramatically. Nothing was certain or clear on how long it would continue, how many more would die, or if they'd even win. But one thing was clear Convel was going down a much darker road to damnation.

* * *

**Chapter 9: Chapter 9**

* * *

The only sound was the steady thump of the oil derricks. Thousands of soldiers marched in circles around the oil field. For the past year Sonic and Shadow had fought a shadow war attacking oil fields, farms, and anything that helped produce the necessary materials for a war. This was the last oil field that was able to produce more than a few barrels of crude a day. A guard paused at the base of the large pipeline that flowed into the storage tanks. He couldn't be sure but it looked like something on it was emitting a steady red flash.

Shadow chuckled and pressed the detonator hard. The entire oil field went up in a chain of explosions.

Twisted metal flew through the air hitting the sand with force enough to throw dunes into the air. When the initial blast was over the few guards who had survived endured a new hell. Fire ignited most of the oil that spurted out of the ground creating great fountains of fire. What ever didn't initially spark fell to earth and did. In an instant the field had turned from a valuable asset to a living hell.

One of the Nocturne commandos materialized behind him as his stealth system slowly disengaged. The Nocturne slowly clapped at the masterpiece of destruction that was being painted before them. Shadow turned tired of the constant sight of the flickering flames, there was little drama left in it. He walked with the soldier back to the small encampment where Sonic and the other generals hid. The majority of the soldier were posted outside Night Babylon waiting for the order to take the city.

Rouge had hidden in the city gaining whatever support she could for their cause and establishing a small underground rebel force. At her signal all of the soldiers would pour out of the hand dug cave sin the foothills and overwhelm any defenses they had. It was an ideal place for a foothold as far as morale went. It was warm and tropical with plenty of things for the men to enjoy while they rested up for the next part of the city hopping portion of war plan. On top of this the city would make it so that their troop transports would be able to cross the sea and land in the Green Hill Zone.

Once they took the hills they could go south and take Emerald City. If emerald City fell so would the UF and the war would at last be over. Shadow sat down next to Sonic and fell asleep to the Sound of Sonic retelling the plan to Xenakis for what must have been the thousandth time. Xenakis wanted to attack more civilian targets to lower civilian support so no rebellion would be possible. Sonic said that the people already had enough of a reason to rebel let's not give them another. Shadow didn't care as long as the war ended.

* * *

The war didn't seem that simple in from Convel's eyes. He had invaded emerald city almost a year ago and still the UF hadn't fallen. The government hadn't even left the massive city that had over the years grown without their noticing. The Green Hill Zone was a peaceful suburb now with the best schools in the county. Convel wished he had artillery so he could wipe off their smug faces and then shell the shit of the rest of the city. But he didn't have the guns to do it, hell he barely had any men left.

Urban warfare is probably the hardest kind there is. Each room was a stronghold, each car a bomb, each building a sniper perch. Every way he looked at it Convel only saw another hard bit of land to take another dozen men lost. He had to give up his Tyneside tactics a month ago; the Tyneside Guard may be the best in urban warfare but they didn't encounter this type of shit. He had been forced to adopt much darker methods.

He didn't like blowing up cars, raiding corporations, and poisoning officials but that's what had to be done. There's no room for morals in a war even if a few civilians got lost in the fighting that was the price for freedom. At least that's what he told himself when he went to sleep at night. Today was his grand performance, he had taken a massive supply of plastic explosives from a convoy a couple of days ago.

In the cellar of an abandoned store lay every scrap of explosive he had left. Across the street sat the home of a man known simply as Cypher. Cypher was the intelligence director for the newly installed leader of the 'free' world, the former Inquisition head Seiner. If Convel took out Cypher then he might be able to get more things done without being found out ahead of time. He had lost fifty men just last week bombing an air base because Cypher had cracked one of their transmissions. A new encryption code and fifty fresh dug graves later they were ready for revenge.

Convel wiped the sewer water off of his face as he pulled himself out of the storm drain. It was overflowing from the torrential rainfall above and swept away some of his equipment. He spit out the sour water making sure that his breathing apparatus was still attached. He was a few feet from the bomb site and didn't want to be above ground when the bomb went off. He felt the rumble and heat of the explosion as he resubmerged.

When he resurfaced the street was filled with pandemonium from the blast. People running from the crater in fear, cops rushing toward it, and wounded dragging themselves to the safety of an ambulance. The plan was working perfectly Convel thought as he walked over to Cypher's building. He kicked in the door and saw Cypher standing by a window, looking out of it with a pistol shakily clutched in his hand. Cypher leveled the gun and pulled the trigger, but like a true bureaucrat he had forgotten the safety. Convel laughed and plunged his short sword into Cypher's chest.

"Seiner will be joining you soon enough." He whispered as he twisted the blade.

His promise was met only by a blood choked scream as the sword punctured Cypher's heart. A dozen Inquisitors came bursting out of every nook and cranny of the place. Of course he hadn't beaten Cypher in the intelligence game, Seiner had sacrificed him. Convel raised his head breathing deeply shaking with rage at his failure. A few Inquisitors kept approaching one reached out to cuff Him, the smart ones ducked into cover. Convel grabbed the cuffs and shoved them into the man's throat, he took the man and used him as a shield to block the wall of lead that came towards him.

Convel flipped the body into the air and tossed every grenade he had on him at the Inquisitors and jumped into the street. Cars swerved and screeched trying to avoid him, Hovering above him was a chopper with rifle men in it. Convel tried to run but the hailstorm of bullets tore his worn out armor to shred and sent him hard onto the concrete. Convel flipped himself over and stabbed at anyone who came near him. The cops kept trying to get in close to cuff him but the Black Guard knew what to do. The kept firing not even bothering to stop when a cop got in their line of fire.

A bullet came flying and knocked the knife right out of his hand sending it flying into the chest of a cop behind him. Convel rolled trying to grab his nearby claymore but a bullet collided with his forehead just as he reached for it. The entire world went fuzzy and Convel struggled to think _Oh Shit_ as he fell unconscious.

* * *

A soft breeze swept across the landscape instilling a sort of calm among the nervous soldiers. The lights of Night Babylon flickered playfully as the constant festivities raged on. Shadow crept as quietly as he could into the city, avoiding guards as he snuck to the capitol. Even though he could easily give the word and have his men overrun the city in a matter of minutes diplomacy was the best choice. Sonic had sent him to give the mayor an ultimatum, surrender or die.

The palatial capitol building was bursting with life as guests poured in for some party. The security was distracted by making sure that guests didn't nick any lamps or towels, this was a cakewalk. Shadow walked right behind an elderly security guard who was arguing with some old hag over whether she was invited. The courtyard was full of party goers who thought he was just some security guard.

The Mayor leaned out of his window puffing away on a fat cigar hoping he wouldn't have to greet the guests any time soon. Shadow climbed up a concealed drain pipe that lead to the old man's office. His wife distracted him just long enough for Shadow to silently enter the room. Shadow quickly slid his pistol out of its holster and pointed between the man's eyes.

"Good evening." said Shadow cocking the pistol.

"Good evening, Rouge sent you didn't she." sighed the Mayor rubbing his brow.

"No I'm Rouge's superior officer so to speak."

"I'm not surprised really, my advisers knew that she had ties with the larger rebellion. So I suppose you've come to kill me and appoint a new regime."

"Actually no."

"No?" asked the Mayor raising an eyebrow and taking a curative sip of brandy.

"Sonic's tired of the useless bloodshed, you surrender peacefully and not a single person will be harmed."

"I see that your general has the calm head of the leaders of the past. Perhaps this war wouldn't be if we had more men like him in charge."

"So what do you choose, surrender or war?"

"You must understand if we surrender the UF will gladly bomb Night Babylon into the dust. Also let's imagine that they don't retaliate we depend almost entirely on tourism and foreign investment, war is bad business."

"You seem like a perceptive man who can't be swayed by threats." said Shadow taking the glass of brandy the Mayor held out. "So lets think of this in further business terms Sonic isn't the only general out there in command. The leader of the Nocturne is far more brutal and desires the destruction of Night Babylon and I mean complete destruction, the only thing preventing him is Sonic's plan. So you choose you surrender and you have a chance to do further business or that creature gets his turn at you."

"I understand, Night Babylon also has it's own rebellion force so if I were to attempt to attack your forces it would be a colossal failure. It seems to be a good leader now you must give your people the damnation they desire, I surrender Night Babylon to your generals."

"Good I will now escort you out to the plaza where you will make the public statement that after negotiations with General Shadow you have agreed to unconditional surrender."

"General Shadow huh, you are more devious than I thought. All this time I thought that I was just talking to some messenger whose death would be meaningless, now I come to find out if I had spiked your brandy like I originally intended I would have taken out atop official. Such is life in war."

"Come let's finish the politics so the soldiers can rest and get back to their job."

* * *

Convel awoke in a brightly lit room where the politics weren't so formal. His hands were in chains behind his back and his feet encased in a high-tec gel cement. Part of him wished that the bullet had killed him so he wouldn't have to deal with the boring politics of war. There was knock on the door and the guards inside stood at attention. Through a thick cloud of cigarette smoke emerged the face of the man he had hated and hunted for so long.

"Seiner." He growled.

"Pleasure to see you too Convel." Seiner said curtly sitting across the table and tossing a file on the surface. "We have so much catching up to do. Starting a civil war right after the one your people died in ends, killing hundreds of my men, looting thousands of dollars of supplies, and not to mention your actions that under the civil defense act qualifies as nothing less than terrorism."

"Pretty impressive for someone you thought died two years ago." said Convel smirking.

"Indeed, but I don't care about your exploits I've seen men like you before." Seiner replied flipping through the file and scowling. "Your kind was full of them, men who are only good for destruction. Men who terrorize and kill a populace because it's what there good at. I thought the age of such men was at last coming to a close and that reason would take over on the battlefield. But it seems that your ferocity has forced a few more breaths into sadistic warfare's collapsed lungs. What I care about is one simple grain of knowledge. Where is Sonic and the other generals."

"Your intelligence department has been shit since Tails left, I left a year ago a difference in battle strategy."

"You honestly think I'll believe you, tell me where they are or I'll unleash unimaginable horrors upon you." threatened Seiner leaning forward to cast ominous shadow over his face.

"Save your breath, you pencil necks are all the same. Making threats you can't back up, you and I both know that I can endure far worse than you can imagine. Even your synthetic Clamorts are inadequate."

"So you've fought our little failed experiment? I agree they were a colossal failure on the lab techs part, steroids produced better results. But I'm not threatening you with bodily harm, I know where Rouge is and I know your married to her so you tell me what I want or else." Growled Seiner leaning forward until Convel could almost touch him.

"Again your intel fails you I divorced her long ago, I suspected her of cheating." Convel prayed his lie would work so much that He almost broke a sweat doing it.

"Bull-

"Sir Night Babylon has surrendered." Interrupted another suit.

"Shit, summon all of my advisers to the war room we need to respond. NOW!" Seiner shouted running out of the room."

Convel leaned back laughing darkly. He wasn't going to be around much longer they Knew exactly where the generals were. Night Babylon, and it was in bomber range. His only source of comfort was that he knew Rouge was smart enough to get the fuck out of there. At least he hoped that was true.

* * *

**Chapter 10: Chapter 10**

* * *

"I want you to explain to me how the fuck this happened!" shouted Seiner at into his comm.

"We don't know sir, all I can tell you is that Night Babylon has completely switched sides in this war. The revels are well dug in and our air support keeps getting shot down in a combination of dogfights and anti-air." Replied the general pausing periodically to fire his rifle.

"Any reports on Shadow or Sonic?"

"Just Shadow he apparently negotiated the surrender. Also Knuckles has been spotted leading squads of echidnas in black body armor."

"Wait did you say echidnas?"

"Yes sir, why."

"Shit! Shit! Shit!"

"What is it sir?"

"This means they've gotten reinforcements. Fuck, those echidnas are the Nocturne and they're the echidna equivalent of Clamorts. I've read some reports on them and if my fears are real then we may be seeing a turn the tide of this war." growled Seiner.

"Sir may I make a recommendation?" asked the general hesitantly.

"Go ahead."

"Make order 73."

"General you realize the cost don't you, all simulations show a 48% collateral damage rate."

"I'm prepared to accept the loss of life for victory, are you?"

"Proceed with order 73." sighed Seiner.

"Order confirmed end transmission."

"You two!" barked Seiner.

"Yes sir." said two guards standing at attention.

"Take care of prisoner X138." said Seiner menacingly.

* * *

Convel grunted in pain. The chains were on tighter than He expected, no matter what he had done they were s till on tight. Finally he had given up and dislocated his shoulders and was painfully worming his way out. With a loud thud the chains fell to the floor, Convel fell on his side to pop one shoulder back in. He crawled over to the table and pulled himself to his feet.

He popped his other shoulder into its socket and looked for a way to cut the gel off of his feet. He saw the knob begin to turn slowly and dove for his chains. They door flew open and two soldiers walked in armed with assault rifles. Convel swung the chains as hard as he could smacking the guards across the face.

One of the guards fell to the ground the other spun dazed. Convel jumped to his feet and swung the chain like a whip wrapping it around the standing guards throat. The man desperately at the chain as Convel pulled the life out of him. With a thud the soldier fell dead next to his partner.

The remaining soldier pulled out his pistol and fired crazily. Convel dove grabbing the table for cover as he fell. In a moment of clarity Convel snapped off a table leg and used it as a spear on the soldier as he reloaded.

The table leg stuck out of the soldier's eye at an odd angle that somehow missed his brain. The soldier writhed in pain as he tried to pry the pipe out of his skull. Convel dropped down and took the soldiers combat knife and stabbed him in the kidneys a dozen times.

Convel began cutting through the thick gel as fast as He could. The damned material seemed to wrap around the blade and thicken the faster he cut. Finally as footsteps became audible from the end of the corridor he began hacking at the gel. Chunks flew through the air as Convel more stabbed than cut the gel. The knife buried into the carpet as the janitor peered into the room to see what the commotion was.

The elderly janitor dropped his spray bottle in terror as he looked into Convel's red eye. Convel rushed the poor man tackling and carrying him down the hall. The janitor screamed pounding on Convel's back as He ran down the hall. Convel slammed through the window and dropped the man to his death. A security chopper hovered below and shredded the screaming janitor. Another chopper alerted by the security that was now firing handguns at Convel as he fell slowly to earth.

Convel landed inside the chopper but as it banked to the right He slipped. Convel savagely clawed at the floor of the chopper looking for a handhold. He found it in a soldier's foot. Convel rolled forward kicking the soldier out and pulling himself in one masterful move.

Convel slammed the head of one sniper's head against the side of the chopper and threw him out. The other pulled the pin on a grenade and tackled him. Convel rolled tossing the suicide bomber out the cabin. Convel grabbed the bayonet from one of the rifles in the weapon rack and slit the pilot and copilot's throats.

Convel tossed the to bodies out of the chopper and flew to the top floor. He saw Seiner turn around and start swearing at him. Convel laughed and turned the chopper around. As much as he wanted to Seiner couldn't die. Not by his hands at least.

Shadow felt uneasy. For the past three hours the UF had hammered them to no end with artillery and air strikes, for some reason it had just ended. The soldiers knew it was to good to be true too. They kept in cover and reloaded, twitching tensely as they waited. Knuckles and a dozen Nocturne came running up to ask what was going on. The UF answered immediately.

Charging Black Guard came from everywhere. Every soldier they shot or blew up another ten replaced. There was nothing for it they had to fall back or be completely overrun.

Knuckles ran along side him firing as they went. Shadow ducked into a side alley switched to his LMG and switched it to Rambo mode. He swung out and emptied the 200 round belt into the charging soldiers.

When the gun clacked dry hundred more soldiers were coming some firing others rushing. Shadow threw the gun at the charging soldiers and ran as fast as he could to the outside of the city. When he was safely outside he turned to see Tails and the rest of their rag tag air force bombing the city. Buildings toppled over like toys killing just as many as the bombs and fire.

When the bomb run was over Sonic ordered them to rush in. Tidal wave for tidal wave, these tactics were going to get them all killed. Shadow ran in nonetheless they couldn't lose this foothold; Night Babylon was going to be the final turning point. Shadow just prayed that it was in their favor.

Shadow jumped behind a small wall in the center of a four-way and dug in. He was going to be ready for the next tidal wave. It came soon enough more ferocious than the last. Suicide bombers in the front destroying any defense that might hinder the advance. Shadow spat in rage before standing up and spraying into the horde.

His blood ran hot has he spilled gallons of others. Tails kept dropping anti-infantry bombs on the city keeping the horde distracted. As Shadow slapped in the last clip he knew in his heart that this wasn't going to end well. He shot at the dozens of soldiers that still charged despite the pile of friendly corpses.

Then he heard the sound he had learned to dread. It was the sound of a firing pin snapping in two, his gun was now useless. Shadow tossed it to the ground and ran muttering swears under his breath as he did.

When he saw that he had ran just in time. All of the rebels were up on the hill and Tails was making one last pass. Night Babylon went up in a giant mushroom cloud of smoke and fire. Shadow was thrown back into the hillside by the concussion wave.

When he raised his head Night Babylon was little more than a radioactive crater. At least they didn't lose completely but it was a hollow victory. He knew exactly what was going to happen next the culmination of all of Sonic's plans. Invasion and overthrowing the UF at last.

"Knuckles come here a moment." said Xenakis.

"What is it?" asked Knuckles panting after running as fast as he could from Night Babylon before its destruction.

"I think we need to rethink our strategy for this war." said Xenakis taking a sip from a tumbler of scotch.

"I agree we need to find a way to prevent this from happening again." sighed Knuckles solemnly.

"Yes, but you're too short sighted. Our current allies force numbers in a little over a dozen thousand, not nearly enough to carry out Sonic's final plan, we need to rethink our very basic tactical decision."

"What's that exactly?" asked Knuckles suspicious of the conniving leaders plans.

"Our initial alliance with the rebellion."

"What do you mean we can't betray my friends, we're so close to victory."

"When I made this alliance I trusted that you had taken into account the needs of our entire race." hissed Xenakis. " It seems you bet everything on the underdog just because you knew him. Before I was willing to continue to wage this war on the losing side because if we did win the Nocturne would be in an even stronger position. Now however the war is all but lost and I can't afford to sacrifice any more men and women on delusion and morals. We must change our sides if we aren't not only to benefit but survive!"

"You listen to me Xenakis I respect your wisdom but I'm not betraying anyone just so you can forge an empire. This war is-

"This war is lost!" shouted Xenakis tossing his drink to the ground. "If a side needs to bomb their only foothold to keep from losing everything then they've already lost. I gave up the Nocturne Empire long ago now you fucking listen to me. I'm not interested in joining the Clamorts and I'm sure you don't either so were making the smart decision. I admit it's not the ideal choice but at least the echidna race will survive."

"I'm not compromising my morals."

"What about your people! I know it's not fun being a leader but this is what it means to be one. The tough decision is the most important, and now you need to forget your past alliances for the hope of future ones."

"I, I don't know." sighed Knuckles fighting back tears.

"Listen tomorrow we're leaving and getting a chance at survival and continuing the echidna race. If you want to be part of the movement that saves us come. If not, stay." said Xenakis slowly turning his back and leaving Knuckles to his thoughts.

* * *

**Chapter 11: Chapter 11**

* * *

Sonic was surprised to see ft of Emerald City. It wasn't the gleaming metropolitan symbol of resilience he had expected to see. When Convel was captured his men had acted out the emergency plan, create chaos. Bombs had torn apart office building and police stations alike. Gunfire had been the soundtrack as the city slowly fell to its inner turmoil. In the end the few remaining rebel had held up in the city center trying to fend off the entire remaining UF military, but no barricade could stop an air strike.

At the very least they had accomplished two steps towards ultimate victory. One they had reduced the city to such shambles that invasion would be easy, and two they had helped the ultimate variable Convel escape. Sonic set up a basic constriction plan a ring around the city that would rush it after several hours of shelling and bombing. Sonic sighed content knowing that shortly he would win this war, there was nowhere left to run. Unless Seiner wanted to see how friendly the wastes were.

"Enjoy the target practice bro." said Sonic into his comm looking into the sea.

"Will do, I never tire of cakewalks." said Tails into his comm as he flew overhead.

"All artillery make ready!" shouted Shadow.

The guns raised into the air ready to rain hell as soon as the friendly birds were out of the air. Shadow stared at the city eagerly awaiting the sight of the city's last buildings crumbling. But it wasn't that easy as soon as Tails and the other fly boys got over the city AA fire erupted. Tails swerved and twisted trying desperately to avoid his wingman's fate.

Rockets soared into the air and turned warplanes into fireballs. Tails looped, rolled, and swerved but nothing he did worked. He knew what was going to happen so he chose to go out on his terms. He turned back and dived at the SAM site as fast as he could.

Tails saw the SAM technicians scramble for a response to his kamikaze maneuver. They finally ran for it abandoning their post. At the last second Tails jerked up on the ejection lever grunting as he blasted through the canopy. He felt his fur singe as his plane turned to a fireball.

"This is Sonic to the Tornado! Come in Tornado! God dammit Tails do you read me!" Sonic screamed fruitlessly into his headset sinking to his knees.

"He's gone we can't save him now." said Shadow laying his hand on Sonic's shoulder.

"God dammit I shouldn't have sent him up, I should have known there would be anti-aircraft." sobbed Sonic.

"There's nothing we could've done, he knew the risks when he got in that cockpit every time. He wasn't a kid we could coddle anymore." said Shadow dryly struggling to remain calm.

"Fuck, we're going to make those bastards pay! Tell the artillery to fire for three minutes, ready the men for the charge." Growled Sonic getting to his feet.

"Right I'll tell Knux."

"Have you decided what you're going to do?" asked Brasidas.

"No." whispered Knuckles twirling his dog tags.

"I understand, being so few in number often puts one in compromising positions. I learned though that as much as it kills and haunts me to betray, that it's necessary. We as leaders have to sacrifice our personal beliefs in the interest of the whole, do you understand the reason for this sacrifice?" He asked looking at Knuckles with watery eyes.

"Yes."

"Then have you come to a decision?"

"Yes."

"What is it then the echidna race, or your friends?"

"I truly envy Convel, he was strong enough to send his people to their extinction for principle. I'm not that strong though, I choose my people." sighed Knuckles standing up.

"Good, I really didn't want to have to kill you?" said Brasidas clearly relieved.

"What?" said Knuckles stunned.

"Xenakis didn't want to risk exposure, I was sent to kill you if you didn't join. You understand this don't you?"

"Unfortunately."

"Listen, the plan is for the Nocturne to hold back when Sonic orders the charge and take control of the artillery." whispered Brasidas hurriedly. "Then when the charging rebels are far enough down the hill we will shell them while the UF attacks them from in front. Pinned we will chip away at them until Xenakis gives the order to charge. If we do this right we can look forward to a swift end to this war just like we all hoped."

"Understood."

"Knuckles, Sonic's readying the men for the charge come on." said Shadow entering the tent.

"OK I'll be out there in a little bit."

"You have three minutes to get ready. Is everything OK?" He asked squinting suspiciously.

"Yea, we were just discussing the strategy for the Nocturne once inside the city." said Knuckles nervously."

"OK, if you're sure." said Shadow still suspicious as he left the tent.

Knuckles sighed relieved that he had made a decision. He was past the point of no return; no matter what happened now he was a traitor. At the very least his reasons for his betrayal were noble and understandable. Hopefully history would understand and not brand him a villain, or at least not completely demonize him.

"I don't trust the Nocturne!" screamed Shadow struggling to be heard over the sound of the artillery.

"Neither do I but we need them more now than ever!" shouted Sonic back.

Sonic signaled the cannons to switch to a star shell for their next burst. The signal to charge. When the sky lit up every one would rush in and swarm the city making defense and fleeing impossible. Sonic prayed that everything would work out that way, this was the final battle. This last stand for justice and freedom was going to change history no matter what. He just hoped it was for the better.

* * *

Dax had been a part of the rebellion from the start. He remembered seeing Convel walk into the dining hall that day clad in his shining armor talking about revolution. He didn't know why but Convel's words had awoken something primal in him, something that desired freedom more than anything else. He had survived the entire thing by fighting harder than anyone else and know as he ran down the to his ultimate goal he felt more free than ever. He forgot everything else in the world as he charged adrenaline pumping towards the city limits.

He smiled wide as each footstep brought him closer to freedom. He was experiencing the ecstasy his father had spoken of. The ecstasy of knowing that no matter what this fight was going to be the greatest thing you ever experienced. But this ecstasy was destroyed by a sinister realization. The realization that a shell had just torn him apart and he was slowly bleeding out. He died chocking on his blood horrified knowing that the shell was friendly.

Rebels scattered as shells rained down on them from friendly guns. They ran faster to the cover the city offered, but machine gun nests roared to life as gatekeepers. The soldiers pinned rushed like trap rats against the defenses but it was useless.

Sonic stopped dead in his tracks he knew exactly what was happening. The Nocturne had betrayed them, and now victory was gone. He ran back at the hill leading of his men with him. Both positions were suicidal to attack but at least if he overran the hill he could kill the traitors. Shadow followed him with all of his men in tow; all of the other commanders knew enough to attack the city. They would sacrifice themselves to make sure that Sonic and Shadow had a chance to take out the traitors, maybe even salvage the day.

Xenakis was eager to face his former allies charging to meet them. Sonic and Xenakis ran into each other and devolved into brawlers. Shadow rushed past them and clashed with Gaius and his men. Brasidas alone seemed to realize his tactical advantage and had his men fire down upon the masses. Shadow and Sonic had their men fall back into firing positions and cause a stale mate between the men while the generals brawled.

Xenakis pulled out a knife and swiped at Sonic. The old man was clearly once a skilled warrior but the years had robbed him of his lethality. Sonic toyed with him ducking and weaving too fast to be seen.

Xenakis spat with rage as he trued to tackle the blue blur, Sonic just sidestepped him. Xenakis rolled back into combat stance and charged again, but Sonic had grown tired of this game traitors had to die. Sonic pulled out his pistol and shot him once, twice, seven times.

The old man clutched at his chest shocked at his injuries. He threw his knife at Sonic but he just shot it out of the air as he slowly approached. Sonic put the barrel of his gun right against the old man's temple grinning. The old man looked up as if begging for mercy, Sonic laughed and pulled the trigger.

Shadow punched Gaius square in his mouth. The shaman clearly wasn't used to anything but talking poetically and being vague. Shadow grabbed him by the throat and hit him as hard as he could. Gaius fell to the ground coughing up blood.

Shadow kicked him hard in the side, grinning as he felt bones crunch. Gaius through some sort of dust at shadow muttering incantations but the wind caught his feeble attack and blew it in his eyes. Gaius writhed in agony whimpering pathetically as he bleed all over. Shadow mercifully brought his boot down on his temple.

"You take Brasidas, I want to have a word with Knuckles!" shouted Sonic firing at what little remained of Xenakis and Gaius' men.

"Sounds like a plan, send Knuckles a bullet from me!" replied Shadow as he threw a grenade tearing apart the half dozen enemy soldiers in front of them.

Shadow ran as fast as he could a black and red streak on the battlefield. Brasidas tried to fire at him but before he could even pull the trigger Shadow had sent him flying. Shadow pulled out a knife and ran after him in a frenzy. Shadow and Sonic's men lined up at the crest of the hill and forced the remaining Nocturne to flee to defensive positions.

Brasidas wasn't as weak as Gaius or Xenakis though he drew his own blade and swiped lethally. Shadow dodged the blade easily, but Brasidas was able to guess Shadow's move well enough to block him as well. Shadow had speed but Brasidas had strength and reach.

Shadow tossed his knife up and pounded away at Brasidas' mid section while he was distracted. Brasidas responded by bringing his knife down hard on Shadow's shoulder. Shadow gasped and staggered back in pain. Brasidas smirked and caught Shadow's knife out of midair, Shadow wrenched the knife from his body and waved Brasidas on.

Every time one of them slashed the other was there to block it. It was clear that they were to evenly matched to beat the other this way. Shadow knew his only option was to do something desperate, he was quickly tiring.

Shadow charged letting his own knife to bury itself deep into his back. He shoved Brasidas' knife into the echidna's kidney and twisted it. They both fell back with mortal wounds; Brasidas shook violently as toxins flooded his body. Shadow wrenched his knife out of his back and leaped at Brasidas.

The giant tried to swat Shadow away but he was too weak from blood loss and poisoning. Shadow rolled back onto his back and smirked demonically at his handiwork. His knife stuck out of Brasidas' jugular, a killing blow. He looked around and saw the entire Nocturne had joined their generals; only they were full of bullet holes.

* * *

"Knuckles! Come on out you fucking traitor! Shadow sends his love!" screamed Sonic trudging through the camp.

"You don't understand this was the only chance I had to save my people!" shouted back Knuckles from some hiding hole.

"Don't even fucking try that card your people would have done just as well if not better if you had stuck with us!" yelled Sonic firing into a crate.

"The UF gave my people a chance at a life beyond this war, you couldn't keep a city safe for more than a few months what makes you think you can lead a nation?"

"Your people don't seem to have fared all that well with the UF seeing how they're all dead! You hear me the echidna race is all but extinct, and when I kill you they will be!" growled Sonic as he fired into another tent.

Knuckles screamed tackling Sonic as he leaped from his perch. Sonic tried to plunge his combat knife into Knuckles' throat, but he just snapped Sonic's wrist. Sonic screamed in pain as Knuckles pounded on him mercilessly. Sonic tried to worm his way out but Knuckles had him pinned.

It was no use his only chance was the first few seconds of their fight, he had lost. Sonic lost all sense of feeling as his former friend turned him into an unrecognizable hunk of meat. He resigned himself to fate, he was going to join Fang soon enough. Then all of a sudden the beating stopped he felt knuckles fly off of him.

Sonic struggled to make out his savior through his swollen and disfigured face. He could see Knuckle struggle to put up any defense as his attacker through him around like a rag doll. Sonic recognized His savior as he sliced Knuckles with his lethal daggers. It was Convel, and Knuckles was on the ropes.

Knuckles knew Convel was still far better than him and tried to run. Convel pinned him to the ground and went to town pulverizing him. Knuckles reached out desperately for anything to protect him. He grabbed a large rock and hit Convel over the head with it as hard as he could.

Convel fell on his side in a daze for a few seconds. Knuckles got up and ran as fast as he could to the city. Convel got up slowly and spit blood on the ground as he watched Knuckles flee to the city. Convel turned and walked back to Sonic. He slung Sonic's arm over his shoulder and carried him back to the artillery position.

When they got there Convel set him down on a stretcher and called over a medic. Sonic could see that most of the rebels had survived their suicidal assault on the city. Everyone who survived was back on the hill the war wasn't going to end nearly as quickly as he hoped. He was going to have to wait a little long for satisfaction from Seiner.

"You alright mate?" asked Convel.

"I'll be fine thanks for coming back." said Sonic wincing as the medic stuck needles into him.

"Wouldn't dream of missing the end of the war." He replied smirking.

"It might not be that easy we've lost a lot of men to the echidna betrayal." sighed Sonic relieved that the meds were starting to kick in.

"And I've brought a lot of reinforcements."

"Who?" asked Sonic raising a now purple eyebrow.

"Just a little force known as the Tyneside Guard." He said grinning toothily.

"You're shitting me!" said Sonic stunned at the good news.

"No He's not I've seen them myself. And look who we found skulking out from behind enemy lines." said Shadow limping as Tails supported him.

"Tails you're alive, holy shit this day is turning out decent after all!" screamed Sonic joyously as Tails eased Shadow onto a med table.

"I guess so what's the plan other than get you two patched up?" asked Tails.

"We break into platoons and charge from dozens of directions at night." Sonic said simply.

"What about Knuckle and the UF?" asked Shadow.

"The UF's government is nothing but Seiner now, you guys take him out. As for Knuckles let me deal with the traitorous slime ball." said Convel slamming his knife into the table. "This war ends tonight!"

* * *

**Chapter 12: Chapter 12**

* * *

The cold night air stung at Shadow's wound. He tried not to focus too much on the pain everything hinged on his team turning off what little of the power grid remained. If they were detected the war would be lost and everyone killed. Part of him was really tired of every single thing being vital for the war effort. But that's the way things get when wars reach their final moment, everything is equally important.

The Tyneside Guard soldier that were teamed up with him were nothing short of amazing. They had been forged out of the fires of urban warfare and therefore were amazingly stealthy. They seemed to lack the ability to make sound, every footstep was as silent as their nonexistent breaths. They even killed without making sound. Every kill was a neck snap or throat slit, and the body always seemed to disappear. It was almost spooky just how well they did everything.

Shadow looked across the causeway to see if the Tyneside Guards were in position yet. He saw the ready hand signal, waved back and began hacking into the grid. This really was the sort of thing Tails was better at but Tails had been more banged up then they first thought in his bail out. He had to figure out how to bring down the damned thing with only some hastily written instructions to guide him. However by luck if not skill he was able to execute the plan flawlessly.

Power fell all over the city, the UF was now blind and deaf. Shadow slid his night vision goggles back on and walked back to the outer defenses. Over the years his suits cloaking ability had degraded greatly he could only stay invisible for a minute tops before rematerializing. Nonetheless it was still just long enough for him to slip into the enemies machine gun nests, and stuff pressure sensitive charges into the ends of the barrels. His jobs done he regrouped with his squad at the city limits.

Sonic appeared next to Shadow ten minutes ahead of the rest of his men. They had to move more slowly to avoid detection, even though their sensors were down the UF soldiers eyes still worked fine. Shadow checked his weapon nervously anxious for the coming battle. A couple platoons of the Tyneside Guard arrived ahead of schedule thanks to their aptitude at stealth. Sonic signaled the TG to go ahead of the rest of them and start sabotaging whatever they could.

Shadow and Sonic's forces arrived next used to moving faster to keep up with their commanders. Shadow and his men slipped away into the sewers so they could move faster undetected. Shadow found the sewers about as inviting as Convel did. Only he was fortunate enough for the water to be at ankle level. As he sloshed through the sewers he heard the unmistakable sounds of C4 exploding. The machine gun nests were down now it was time for the rebels to attack as quickly as possible.

Sonic was going to detonate a large bomb in the UF weapon depot before attacking the UF's headquarters. The distraction would hopefully cause all of the UF soldiers to go to one place so that they would be easier to attack. Also they hoped it would leave the headquarters deserted enough for them to hit the bunkers. There were three and each could hold either Seiner or Knuckles. They had to hit them all simultaneously to avoid tipping them off.

Shadow's GPS beeped he was getting close to the first bunker. The closer he got the narrower the tunnel got until eventually he was forced to get on his hands and knees. The sewer muck splashed in his and his squads faces as they slowly crawled to the target. Just when the tunnel got so narrow that Shadow could barley fit through they reached the opening. Shadow and his squad lined up against the east wall and placed breaching charges on it.

"Sonic we're in position, how about you?" whispered Shadow into his comm.

"I'm ready to bring the ceiling down on them." growled Convel.

"We're just outside the door give us a few seconds to set up." whispered Sonic softly, there was a few seconds tense silence. "3...2...1 GO!"

Shadow pressed the detonator and the wall next to him turned into gravel. He slapped his rifle to his shoulder as he swung in after it. The guards inside were stunned by the debris hitting them. Shadow and the Tu dropped them all with surgical precision. He jumped in the room and looked around their was no one else he'd gotten the empty bunker.

He signaled his team to follow as he ran through the door killing the guards in the hall. He ran as fast as he could sliding on the waxed tile as he rushed to Sonic's bunker. A couple of UF exited the elevator at the end of the corridor guns raised into the firing position. The TU killed them all with head shots before they even realized what was happening. Shadow turned and ran through the tunnels he hoped he got their in time.

"Seiner." said Sonic standing alone in the room with Seiner both of their teams had killed each other.

"Sonic I see that you truly are a wasted asset, it'll be a shame to spray your brains all over this floor." sighed Seiner reloading his revolver.

"Please you know I can dodge bullets, you know I can take more punishment than you, face it you lost." said Sonic lining his cross hairs up with the center of Seiner's forehead.

"Oh did I, I think I might like to disagree with that." He said slamming a button on the wall.

Sonic fired a burst but it was too late Seiner was gone. Sonic pounded at the concrete wall that Seiner had escaped through in frustration. He was so close why didn't he just pull the fucking trigger. He couldn't afford to lose control not now he had to hunt him down. Seiner had only one viable option of escape, the air all other routes were flooded with rebels. Gunfire sounded outside and Shadow burst through the door panting.

"Where is He?" asked Shadow trying to catch his breath.

"Escape hatch, come on we've got to get to the helipad."

"Understood, team split up into four groups and secure the helipads. If you see anything that doesn't look friendly kill it and ask questions later." barked Shadow, the TU nodded and ran off.

"Tails listen to me order all forces who might be a threat to a Helicopter to survey the skies. If they see anything have them shoot it down. Seiner might be in it."

"Got it." wheezed Tails, his throat was torn up by smoke and flame inhalation from the crash.

* * *

"Hello there brother." growled Convel pulling his knife out of Knuckles' guard's body.

"You've come to kill me then." sighed Knuckles his back turned.

"You guessed it, so you gonna take your death with some honor?" asked Convel dragging his knife against the wall.

"No." said Knuckles spinning around revealing that he was armed to the teeth.

Convel dived behind the table for cover as Knuckles fired after him with a LMG. Convel was pinned the second he tried to even peek out Knuckles placed a three round burst right there. Convel was to impatient to wait for a reload so he came up with a devious plan. He tossed the body of one of the dead guards into the air as a distraction and charged.

The plan worked perfectly and in seconds the tides had turned. Convel sunk both of his blades deep into Knuckles gut and twisted them. Knuckles let out a cry of pain as Convel ripped his knives out and sliced his face. Blinded Knuckles swung clumsily at Convel who just punched him in his bloodied face.

Convel brought his knife down as hard as he could but Knuckles rolled his head out of the way. Capitalizing on this error Knuckles pulled the pin on one of his grenades and shoved into Convel's gut. Convel gasped as all of the air was forced out of him by Knuckles fist and the explosion.

Knuckles slowly got to his feet and ran blindly out the room. Convel coughed blood onto the shattered tile floor still stunned by the grenades blast. When he got to his feet Convel found a blood trail to lead him to his prey. Convel clutched his serrated hunting knife as he limped down the hall.

The trail led him outside where rain now poured down torrentially. Convel slipped a couple of times on the moist gravel as he followed the red stained water. Convel wiped water out of his clouding vision as he found the end of the trail but Knuckles was gone. A hammer clicked as its gun was cocked, Convel turned to see a barrel sticking in his face.

Knuckles squeezed the trigger and Convel's head flew back at an odd angle. His body slowly followed as if unwilling to accept defeat. Knuckles stood over Convel's lifeless body wincing as rain splashed into his open wounds. Knuckles was confused he thought he would be happy or sad when he killed Convel instead he just felt hollow. Knuckles tossed the gun to the ground and limped off to the edge of the building. He watched in amazement as rebels ran through the streets hunting down any remaining UF, Sonic had done it.

"Tell me just what makes your life just so god damn important." growled Convel rising from the ground as if returning from the dead.

"I, I, you were dead!" stammered Knuckles taking a step back and almost falling off the roof.

"No, just a little concussion is all. Answer me though what the fuck makes you so determined to survive!" shouted Convel angrily taking a step toward him. "Your people are dead, your only friends are trying to kill you me included, and the side you chose at the last second has lost! You've lost Knuckles you will go down in history as the worst judge of a situation ever! So tell me why the fuck didn't you put that gun to your head, why don't you jump off the building now!"

"I, I don't know." He said pathetically.

"I didn't think so." spat Convel.

A lightning bolt tore across the sky and Convel charged. Knuckles flinched as if trying to block the attack. Knuckles gasped with the thunder and looked down. Convel's blade was completely buried in his chest, only the pommel still protruded. Knuckles let his blood flow out of his mouth before stepping back.

Convel fell to his haunches in exhaustion. He looked peacefully up at the sky and let the rain pour over him. He had played his part in the war. He had one countless battles and killed the great traitor in the end. Now his part was over, now it was all up to their original heroes. Shadow and Sonic.

* * *

Shadow kicked open the stair well door and ran out onto the helipad. Seiner Chopper slowly lowered itself onto its skids as the rain and cross wind lethally whipped it around. Shadow fired his rifle from the hip at the choppers windscreen causing it to spiderweb.

The pilot slumped over onto the controls, dead. Seiner and his men dived to the ground as the chopper spun out of control into the building side, erupting into a fireball. Seiners men got on their knees and took aim at Shadow, they all fell back as Sonic ran a circle around them firing his SMG. Sonic stopped next to him and slapped a fresh clip into his gun, laughing demonically as the lightning illuminated them.

"You should have known that you could escape us Seiner." chuckled Sonic.

"You should have known as soon as you shot me that this could only end one way!" boomed Shadow.

"With your death." they chorused cocking their weapons.

"If you think I'm just going to lie here and die you've got another thing coming!" shouted Seiner defiantly pulling out a syringe.

"You haven't got any other options." said Sonic shooting the syringe before Seiner plunged the concoction into his arm.

Seiner got to his feet and backed away slowly. He held up his hands as if trying to surrender and opened his mouth trying to say something. Shadow interrupted him by blowing both of his hands off. Seiner fell to his knees screaming in agony as he looked in horror at his bloody stumps.

"P... P... Please let me live I surrender unconditionally, the world it's your now." pleaded Seiner.

"The world is not enough." said Shadow putting his shotgun in Seiners mouth and pulling the trigger.

Seiner's brain pulp splattered onto Shadow's face as his head disappeared. Shadow turned at let Seiners body fall from the pad, it was over. Two long years of bloody struggle had at last come to an end. The world had been changed drastically whether by a man's words or by his bullet. No matter the tool of change nor the reason for it one thing was for sure. Nothing was going to be the same.

* * *

**Chapter 13: Epilogue**

* * *

"Convel what's up, I haven't seen you since you left to find Rouge!" exclaimed Sonic running over to hug him.

"Yea well I've been pretty busy helping Rouge rebuild Night Babylon and getting Fang Operations set up." explained Convel tugging at the bow tie around his neck.

"Still uncomfortable in formal events fuzz face?" asked Tails jokingly sloshing champagne all over.

"There's the lucky groom, so where you and Cream going for your honeymoon?" asked Sonic slapping a brotherly hand on his shoulder.

"Rouge's stay at the new and improved Night Babylon brochures were very persuasive. Not as persuasive as a drunken Convel calling me up and making the same threat as when I was thinking about chickening out and not asking Cream." sighed Tails before chugging champagne out of a waiter bottle.

"What can I say I get tired of waiting for the ending in romantic comedies."

"Where is Rouge anyway?" asked Shadow walking up his tie already undone and a bottle of booze in his hand.

"She's at home resting up, she wanted me to tell you all the good news." said Convel sipping a tumbler of scotch.

"Well quit holding out on us you bastard what is it?" joked Sonic slapping him in the chest.

"I am... going to be a daddy." He said slowly grinning widely.

"Holy Shit! I can't believe you didn't tell us sooner you little shit." said Shadow jumping with excitement.

"I would have told you sooner but I was taking any contract I could get my hands on to help pay for the rebuilding and getting ready. I can't wait to see my pup, wonder if it'll be a boy or girl?" said Convel stepping back as he went misty eyed at the thought.

"Now you're not going soft on us now are you?" asked Sonic raising an eyebrow.

"No way Mr. President, I'm just excited."

"Hey don't call me Mr. President I leave work at work."

"Apparently not everything." retorted Convel pointing at Sally who was chatting up a bunch dignitaries.

"Exception that proves the rule." remarked Sonic quickly as he eyed his latest girlfriend.

"Well bro I'll give you this you have excellent taste in women." said Shadow taking a sip of beer,

"Yes He does." interjected Sally walking up and wrapping her arms around Sonic.

"Damn, you have radar hearing." exclaimed Tails.

"Yes, yes I do. So what's new other than the bride?"

"Well Convel just told us He's going to be a daddy." said Sonic smartly.

"Congratulations, bat or wolf?" She asked squeezing Sonic's throat a little tightly.

"Wolf, Clamort genes wouldn't allow anything else." replied Convel laughing as Sonic's face turned the same color as his fur.

"What you gonna name it?" asked Tails rescuing Sonic by tugging at Sally's elbow.

"If it's a girl Amy, if it's a boy Manic." said Convel eying Shadow.

Both Sonic and Shadow went misty eyed and weak kneed at the gesture. Shadow had nightmares of him seeing Manic's crumpled body. Sonic doubtlessly had shared the horrific vision of Amy more than once, even if tried to move on. The both smiled and hugged Convel thanking him for the guarantee of a memorial for their lost loved ones.

"I really hate to break this loving family moment but I need to talk to you guys about some business Creams been hounding me to get done before we leave."

"What?" asked Shadow curiously.

"Rose Technologies and Shade Incorporated need a security contractor. There's only one man I'd trust with keeping my investments safe, you Convel." said Tails sighing to make it sound like it was all a big hassle. "I'm sure Shadow feels the same way when it comes to S.I., so what do you say?"

"Shit I'll do it, every cent counts towards diapers and formula."

"That's the spirit. That combined with being head of my private guard should pay for college." joked Sonic.

"Sounds good, but enough about the future let's just get drunk and enjoy the cowardly fox finally getting hitched." said Convel finally knocking back his scotch.

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